Inner Workings
by Callypse
Summary: When Raven is asked to leave the Titans, an unpredictable chain of events will bring the Titans into circumstances that will change everything. RobRae
1. Going Under

_The beginning of this fic is sort of an introduction, so just bear with me until the fic actually becomes a songfic. Italics are flashbacks/thoughts and anything in bold print are lyrics. Please R&R._

"Raven?"

Robin's voice announced his presence. Raven was curled up on the couch, reading. All of the Titans were standing around Robin, whose arm was linked with Starfire's. Her jealousy momentarily got the better of her and she pursed her lips in anger. Quickly quenching it, Raven reluctantly placed her book beside her and glanced up.

"Can I have your communicator, please?" Raven had never heard this tone in Robin's voice. She immediately felt uneasy.

"Sure, Robin, but what's wrong with yours?" She took it out and placed it in Robin's outstretched hand.

"Nothing. You just won't be needing yours anymore." At this, Robin's voice became icy and he looked away.

"Why? Did Cyborg come up with something more advanced?" Against her will, Raven's voice quivered. Something was wrong.

"No. I don't know how to say this without hurting your feelings." Robin's voice told Raven that he didn't care about her feelings. "We think it's time that you left the Titans."

Raven's jaw dropped in surprise. Shaking her head in disbelief, she stammered, "W-what?"

"You heard me." Robin had a disgusted look on his face. "You have 24 hours to leave the Tower. If you're not gone by then, we'll have to remove you forcibly."

Raven couldn't believe it. "B-b-but why? Did I do something wrong?" She couldn't recall anything that would have brought this punishment about.

"You know why. Everybody knows why." Here Robin squeezed Starfire's hand. "Starfire told us everything. Now go, before I lose my temper."

Stunned, Raven picked up her book and silently walked past the other Titans. Robin would not look at her. Beast Boy looked ashamed. Raven wondered if he was ashamed of her or his actions? Cyborg attempted an apologetic smile. Starfire seemed to cringe as Raven walked by. Snuggling up next to Robin, she smirked at Raven. Raven did a double take. None of the other Titans had seen Starfire's victorious gloat. What was going on?

Raven didn't have a whole lot she wanted to take with her; just some of her favorite books, some CD's, and a change of clothes. Packing these few possessions into a leather shoulder bag, she took one last look at her former home.

Robin was in the kitchen, preparing himself a feast of eggs. Raven came up behind him.

"Robin?" Raven's usual monotone was replaced with a pathetic begging voice. Raven wasn't acting. She had never felt this helpless. She had never felt so alone.

"What?" Robin wouldn't turn to acknowledge her presence.

Biting her lip, Raven advanced towards him.

"Can you tell me what's going on? I honestly have no idea." Her voice quavered.

Robin spun around. "I think you do. Just in case you forgot, let me refresh your memory. Starfire showed an honest interest in meditating. You agreed to instruct her. You had countless sessions in your room, just the two of you. You hypnotized Starfire. You inhabited her body and wreaked havoc all over Jump City. Each time the Teen Titans were called out to stop the villain, but you were already gone."

Raven remembered all those times when there had been a huge crime committed or there was a huge mess, but there was no villain anywhere.

"Obviously your anger isn't as under control as you'd like us to believe. You as Starfire were never caught, but if you had been, guess who would have got the blame. Starfire. One day you failed to properly hypnotize Starfire, and she watched helplessly as you destroyed the city from within her body. Starfire told us, and the entire team voted you out."

Raven's timidity was gone. Anger burned within her. "And you actually believed her? You have no proof."

"That's where you are wrong. Starfire hid a camera in your room one day because she couldn't remember what she learned from your sessions. She caught, on tape, you in the act of inhabiting her body. We've all seen it. Every bit of it is true."

"Can I have a look at this tape?" All she needed was a shred of proof that Starfire was lying.

"Sure." Robin retrieved it from a cabinet at the side of the room. He handed it to Raven wordlessly and turned back to the stove.

Raven couldn't believe her eyes. The tape clearly showed Raven's body going limp and Starfire's eyes suddenly becoming exactly like Raven's. No wonder the Titans had fallen for this. It was incredibly convincing. Apparently Starfire wasn't as dumb as she led everyone to believe.

"Here." Raven placed the tape beside Robin. She picked up her shoulder bag and moved towards the door. Pausing, she turned around, a sad smile on her face. "Good-bye."

No answer.

Out in the street, Raven's temper became unchecked. Relentless rage burned within her. Around her, cars exploded, people flew through the air, and light posts shattered. Furious at the people she had once called friends, she ran as far away from the Tower as she could get.

**Now I will tell you what I've done for you**

_All those times I put my life on the line, for my city and for them._

**50 thousand tears I've cried**

_Slade's dust almost killed Robin. The memories still hurt, even though he betrayed me._

**Screaming, deceiving, and bleeding for you, and you still won't hear me**

_All the Titans avoided me. Beast Boy called me creepy. Everything I had ever done was ignored. Never congratulated, never thanked. _She ran faster

**Don't want your hand this time, I'll save myself**

_No one ever offered to help me. No one cared._

**Maybe I'll wake up for once**

_I'm on my own now. About time._

**Not tormented daily defeated by you**

_No more worries about them. No more put-downs from Beast Boy. He has no idea how much those hurt…_

**Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom**

_How much lower can you get than being kicked out of your own home?_

**I'm dying again**

_Every day I die again. Seclusion slowly kills me._

**I'm going under, drowning in you**

_They would constantly suffocate me. I could never fully use my powers. I could overthrow the entire team if I wanted to! I'm more powerful than all of them!_

**I'm falling forever, trying to break through**

_No more. I can handle better on my own._

**I'm going under**

**Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies**

**So I don't know what's real and what's not**

_One doctored tape and suddenly I'm the biggest traitor since Terra. How did Starfire do it?_

**Always confusing the thoughts in my head**

**So I can't trust myself anymore**

_I would not, and did not, do anything to Starfire. I don't know whom to believe anymore._

**I'm dying again, I'm going under**

_Much power lies beneath the surface._

_Drowning in you, I'm falling forever got to break through_

_Robin will never know how much I cared. CARED, as in past tense._

**So go on and scream**

_I'm not listening_

**Scream at me, I'm so far away**

_So far away…_

**I won't be broken again Time to fight back I've got to breathe, I can't keep going under**

_If I go under, I'm taking you with me._

_Love it? Hate it? Let me know. This is my first songfic, but that's no excuse. Flames accepted. Until next time –Mystyre _


	2. Where Will You Go?

_Wow. I had a pretty good response from Going Under. It was initially going to be a one-shot, but you asked for more, so here it is. Once again, the lyrics are in bold, and thoughts/flashbacks are in italics. In case you didn't notice, I renamed this fic, so it will henceforth be known as Inner Workings . Contains lyrics from Where Will You Go? by Evanescence. Part of this chapter is based on what I learned from reading Remix17's Titans, Go, so I'm not sure if it is one hundred percent correct. The song used in this chapter would also work very well with Terra's story, but I think it applies here as well._

_Otakualways: Umm...thanks? Lol, don't get carried away. Hope you enjoy this chaper._

_Desiree L. Wallen: Thank you, thank you. I love Evanescence as well. Going Under rocks!_

_Insanity 101: Weird...I'm responding to a review of yours! Anyhoo, I've already said all that needs to be said. Robin will realize the error of his ways in future chapters._

_The Devils Nightmare: Darn...I thought my idea was original. Oh well. Yes, it is a Rae/Rob fic. Thanks for the good review._

Raven ran until she reached the outskirts of Jump City, where she turned her back on all her life had ever been. A drop of rain splashed on her nose, and she drew her hood over her head. Setting her bag beside her, she looked at the city that had meant everything to her. There was no way she could go back to Jump City, not when the Titans were still there. They had kicked her out of the Tower, and soon everyone in the city would learn why. While the reason they would learn would not be true, they would believe it nonetheless.

She sat on the side of the road, knees drawn up to her chin. Rain poured down over her, but she didn't care. Her anger had dissipated into a severe depression. Nothing in life was worth caring about anymore. Raven couldn't even remember what life was like before she was a Titan.

Cyborg was the one who seemed to know how to act in every situation. He was very levelheaded, but sometimes went a little crazy when it came to Gamestation. He was the 'big brother' to all of the Titans, seeing as he was the oldest. He overcame his handicap of being 75 machine and accepted himself. Cyborg was very logical and was ready to fill in as leader if he needed to, but he was also able to take orders.

Beast Boy had definitely been the most annoying of the Titans. He was always trying to make light of whatever situation they were in, but his jokes were awful. Most of the time Raven felt like smashing him, but he had his moments. He was so stupid that he would try anything and most of the time succeeded at it. While he was a pest, Raven admitted to herself that she would miss him, even if only a very little bit.

Starfire. The very thought of her caused Raven to bring her hand down on the concrete in frustration. She tried to think of the old Starfire, the sweet one, but her latest scheme filled Raven's mind with hatred. She felt memories of good times with Starfire being replaced by fictional memories of Starfire manipulating Robin and using the Titans. Raven wondered how many times Starfire had lied to the Titans but had never been caught. When they had first met Starfire, she had seemed to be a sweet, naïve, alien girl. Recent actions proved that theory incorrect. Starfire was a scheming vixen who betrayed Raven and convinced the other Titans to follow suit. The early Starfire had been so curious about the world, while the modern Starfire seemed wiser than the Titans had ever thought she could be. Robin had spent so much time with Starfire when she first showed up; and Raven had been jealous. Robin was her closest friend, but he had had no time for her.

Robin had been the first Titan she had met. When she had come to Jump City, she had been alone and hadn't minded it. When Robin turned up, she had been wary of joining him in his quest to create a team of his own, but she found she liked it after a trial basis. Because of that, Robin and Raven had shared a bond that no one else on the team had. Not love, but the deepest kind of friendship. As the years went by, Raven found herself falling for the Boy Wonder, but kept that emotion hidden along with all the others. Raven had felt like she was dying when Robin turned his back on her.

The rain continued to fall, and Raven was thoroughly soaked. The pavement was cold and slippery, and she longed for her dry bed in Titans Tower. She realized that she couldn't stay here forever, but she had nowhere else to go.

**You're too important for anyone **

**There's something wrong with everything you see**

Raven's pride had always been a factor in everything that she did. Her emotions controlled her powers, so she kept them under wraps. There was another reason that Raven acted as she did, though. She was afraid of what the others would think. They would be quick to judge her, they wouldn't accept her. They wouldn't understand.

**But I…I know who you really are**

**You're the one who cries when you're alone**

For the first time in seven months, bitter tears slipped down Raven's cheeks. She felt alone. No one understood her. No one knew the secrets from her shadowy past. No one wanted to know. Raven felt used, like a hammer that is looked for only when it is needed, and then put on the shelf again when the job is done. It waits, collecting dust, while life continues on.

"_Can you like me for who I am, instead of what I can do for you?"_ The tears came faster, dropping to the pavement like the raindrops. _"I guess this shows me how worthless I am."_

**Where will you go, with no one left to save you from yourself**

Life was no longer worth living. She didn't know very many people other than the Titans. She was homeless now, just another person down on their luck. No one would bother to glance twice at someone like her.

**You can't escape**

Memories of good times with the Titans would haunt her wherever she would go. Memories of their final parting would always be there. She could outrun her ex-friends, outrun her problems, outrun her worries. But she couldn't outrun the past. Her only hope would be to start a new life as someone else somewhere else.

Gotham City.

She wouldn't be recognized there. No one would know her. She would have the choice of resuming hero work alone, or blending in as a regular person. This idea appealed to Raven, and she felt her spirits lifting.

**You don't want to escape**

Raven sighed. Even though she had been betrayed, she didn't want to leave. Her whole life was in Jump City. Unfortunately, she had no choice. Staying in Jump City would only remind her of what had happened. People would stare at her as she walked down the streets. She would watch the other Titans save the day, while all she could do was stand aside. There would be rumors about her, people constantly talking about her behind her back. Staying in Jump City would only bring misery. She had to leave.

Assuming a role as a hitchhiker, she stood up on the side of the road, bag slung over her shoulder. She hoped no one would recognize her trademark outfit. This brought on a new thought. Should she change her name? Her appearance? Raven decided to leave her name as is, but to get some casual clothes and a new crime-fighting outfit, presuming she continued hero work.

A truck approached the place where Raven stood. Two teenagers were clowning around inside the cab, and one pointed at Raven. The driver sped up and went through a huge puddle, sending a tidal wave crashing down on Raven. Laughing, they drove off.

Disgusted, Raven attempted to shake herself dry, but realized that it would do no good. The rain continued to fall, and Raven was already as wet as wet can be. Just before the truck was out of sight, she used her powers to blow a hole in three of their tires. The truck skidded off the road and went careening into a ditch. Raven smirked. They deserved that.

Her victory was short-lived, however. She still had no way of getting to Gotham City. She didn't want to levitate all the way there, especially not in the rain. She wasn't really looking forward to spending several hours in a vehicle with a stranger, but she couldn't think of any other way that wouldn't require money or returning to Jump City, even temporarily.

A sudden beeping startled Raven. She realized that her brooch was signaling trouble. Her good mood fell away as the pain of rejectment returned. She realized that her brooch was also a tracking device, and if she left it on, the Titans would know her every movement. She ripped it from her cloak and threw it to the ground, intent on destroying it. She repeated this until nothing was left of it but a pile of electronic pieces. She withdrew a safety pin from her shoulder bag and used it to hold her cloak closed. Her anger, frustration, and sadness renewed, a car headed towards Jump City suddenly burst at the seams. Raven shut her eyes, not wanting to see the disaster her emotions were creating.

**How ever did you manage to push away**

**From every living thing you come across**

She bit her lip, desperate to regain control over her emotions. The less attention paid to her the better. The farther away from Jump City before stories of her "actions" were spread, the better. The sooner she was forgotten, the better.

**So afraid that anyone would hate you**

When she had first come to Jump City, she hadn't been looking for immediate acceptance, but she hadn't been expecting to be scorned by those who knew nothing about her. That's the way this world works. Judging the book by its cover. Raven learned to deal with her depression over a lack of understanding friends.

**You pretend you hated them first**

Beast Boy must have been convinced that Raven hated him. She didn't entirely hate him, of course. He got on her nerves a lot, but she knew that was just the way he was. She smiled as she remembered all the lame jokes he told trying to get her to smile. _Well, Beast Boy, they worked. I'm smiling. No one can see me, but I'm smiling. _

**Where will you go**

**With no one left to save you from yourself **

No one would be around to cheer her up anymore. Even though it took six months before Raven would crack a smile at Beast Boy's jokes, she realized she appreciated his attempts. Too bad it took such drastic circumstances to get her to understand how much she cared for the Titans.

**You can't escape the truth**

The truth was she was innocent of all wrongdoings. She was one of the "good guys"; one of the people who saved lives, not someone who ruined them. Each person may perceive his or her own version of the truth. If you feel something should be true, or is too fantastic or too awful to not be true, then it's the truth.

**I realize you're afraid**

Leaving Jump City would be a big step in her career and in her life. Truth was, she was afraid. Afraid of having to be accepted again, afraid of life without her friends, afraid of who she would become. This anger in her heart would have a negative effect on everything she would ever do for the rest of her life. Life would never be the same.

**But you can't refrain from everything**

**You can't escape**

**You can't escape**

Raven knew that moving to Jump City would mean that she was running from her problems. _Let me run, _she thought. _I can run, I can hide, and I can pretend everything's going to be all right. _

**I'm so sick of speaking words that no one understands **

**Is it clear enough that you can't live your whole life all alone**

"You think you're alone, Raven. But you're not." Beast Boy's words rang in her ears. Memories of Malchior flooded her mind. She felt he had understood her. But he had used her. He had understood her so well that he played her like a piano. When the grim truth had revealed itself, Raven had felt more alone than ever before. After taking revenge on that wicked dragon, she had locked herself away, never wanting to interact with another again. She didn't even want to read, because it was her books that had betrayed her. Beast Boy's unusually deep words that day had broken a wall in Raven's heart. One stress-relieving game of Stankball later, she felt a lot better.

The agony she was experiencing now was so much worse than she felt she could bear. It dwarfed the depression of that day. Alone. How many times had she said that word in the past several hours? Each time, it became more real. She really was alone. And she didn't want to be.

**I can hear you when you whisper**

Raven cared about the Titans. She listened to their problems, however petty they may have been. She especially enjoyed time with Robin. Robin was the oasis in her hectic life. Her outlet, though he didn't know it. Robin made Raven smile inwardly when Beast Boy's jokes didn't. Many times she had poured out her soul to the roof of her bedroom, imagining that Robin was listening. She knew how he would respond to each of her questions, and she used his judgment in her daily choices. She knew Robin almost as well as she knew herself. She listened when he spoke and respected his decisions. Most of his decisions. She knew he only had the best interests of the team in mind. Even when that meant releasing a team member.

**But you can't even here me screaming**

On the other hand, Raven was the most mysterious member of the team. The Titans avoided her like she was the Bubonic Plague. They viewed her as creepy. They assumed she wanted to be alone. They misjudged her.

**And where will you go**

**With no one left to save you from yourself**

There was no place she would rather be, than in Jump City with her friends. But that ship had sailed.

**You can't escape the truth**

**I realize you're afraid**

Jump City had nothing to offer her anymore. She could dwell in the past, or she could move on with life. As much as she would like to stay, she knew she had to leave.

**But you can't reject the whole world**

Gotham City might not be Jump City, but it would be a place to start over. She had to give it a chance.

**You can't escape**

_I have to go._

**You won't escape**

_Ihave no choice._

**You can't escape**

_What else can I do? My life here is over! Just let me be. I can forget everything that ever happened._

**You don't want to escape**

_Another Evanescence song? Yes, I do love Evanescence. The lyrics of their songs happen to suit my story, so don't be surprised to see a lot of Evanescence in this fic. Hopefully all the chapters will be songfics. I hope you enjoyed the second segment of Inner Workings. Let me know how I can improve and feel free to give me some ideas. Thanks to all my reviewers! By the way, the first chapter of Lost is coming. I'm just having a bit of writer's block at the moment. It'll pass, though. Once again, please review. Until we meet again -Mystyre_


	3. Easier to Run

_Yes, it's been a while since I updated. My uncle was getting married last week, so I was busy with family and stuff. I've also been having a fun time looking for the right song for these chapters, because I want the whole fic to be a songfic. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. Reviews make me feel so good inside, lol. This song –amazingly- is not Evanescence. Say hello to Easier to Run, by Linkin Park. By now you know the drill; italics equal thoughts/flashbacks, bold equals lyrics. And I forgot to say this in earlier chapters, so I'll say it now: At the moment, I do not own the Teen Titans. I am planning to break Robin out of Dusty's closet, though. Lost still is coming. I'm just having so much fun doing this one that it's taken the back seat. Sorry to anyone who's looking forward to it. I'll try to have some chapters up within a week._

_Child of Blood: This song is pretty cool too. A chapter coming up is once again, Evanescence._

_Otakualways: Hmmm…I think I can work with that! Thanks._

_Mony19: Yeah, Raven's pretty cool. Here you are!_

_AriesFalcon: Who doesn't love Evanescence? That will be revealed…as soon as I figure it out! Don't worry, it will all work out. I read some of your work and quite enjoyed it. Your review totally made my day!_

_The Devils Nightmare: Awww…thanks! Don't worry, I've got plans, lol._

_Zicora: Thanks so much. Yes, I do that a lot, getting into people's heads. Mostly unwanted, but hey!_

Raven sat on the beige leather interior, dripping wet. Some middle-aged man had finally stopped to pick her up. Her shoulder bag was on the floor at her feet. She felt a little guilty that she was ruining the man's expensive car, but he didn't seem to care.

Fortunately, this guy was going right into Gotham City. That meant she wouldn't need to attempt to hitchhike again. She had been standing in the rain for almost two hours before catching a ride. He had smiled when he had pulled over. When Raven had told him her destination, he had brightened and said he was headed there as well. Dumbfounded by her good luck, Raven clambered into the car, eager to leave Jump City far behind her.

As nice as this gentleman seemed, she didn't really want to talk to him. She looked out the window, hoping that he wouldn't try to engage her in conversation. No such luck. He set the car to drive at the same speed and turned to her.

"So," he began. "My name is Jonas Kennington. You can call me Kenny."

Feeling obliged to answer, Raven mumbled, "I'm Raven, and you can call me Raven." Ah, sarcasm. Never leave home without it.

The man smiled at her dry remark, making light of it. "Why are you headed all the way to Gotham City? It's a pretty dirty place." He used the word dirty to describe the city's behavior, and not its condition.

Raven quickly formed a lie in her mind. No one needed to know her true intents, especially someone she didn't know anything about. "My cousin is just got married in Jump City, and I stayed a little longer than the rest of my family. I was supposed to take a taxi, but I blew all my money on a wedding gift. I'm just going home."

Home. That part was true. She was leaving one home to make another.

Kenny nodded understandingly. "Those wedding gifts can get pretty pricey."

Raven shrugged her shoulders, trying to appear a sweet teenager. Ugh.

"It's going to take at least seven hours to get to Gotham City. Just so you know."

Raven groaned inwardly. Seven hours of listening to Mr. Goodwill babble on incessantly.

"You don't look like you just came from a week of quality time with the family, though. Your clothes, well, they look like you're a runaway." Kenny's comment had been innocent enough, but he had hit the nail on the head.

"Well," Raven replied rudely. "Don't judge a book by its cover."

Kenny just laughed.

Raven changed positions. "Listen. I'm going to go to sleep. It's been a pretty hectic week, and I'm really tired. Could you wake me when we get there?"

"Sure," Kenny replied. He turned away from her and focused on the road.

Raven wished she had been in the back seat, which was larger. Unfortunately, it was covered in briefcases. She curled up, one hundred percent sure she would not be falling asleep.

It's easier to run Replacing this pain with something numb 

I never need to think about the Titans again. They're in the past. Over. History. There won't be room for them in my new life.

**It's so much easier to go**

**Than face this pain here all alone**

_I'll have no connections to Jump City. That life is behind me. That shadow is fading as the light grows stronger in hopes of a successful life in Gotham City. I don't even have to be a hero. No one would make me. I could go to school. Get a job. Be normal._

**Something has been taken**

**From deep inside of me**

_My life has lost its meaning. Nothing to live for. No one to live for. The Titans have taken my life away when they kicked me out. I feel dead._

**A secret I've kept locked away **

**So no one can ever see**

_I never told anyone that I liked them. I never expressed feelings for anybody. My emotions made her vulnerable. My lack of emotions made her strong._

**Wounds so deep they never show **

**They never go away**

_Admit it, Raven. You think you can outrun everything your life once was, but those memories will never leave. You cannot forget, no matter how hard you try._

_I can forget. I need to forget._

**Like moving pictures in my head **

**For years and years they've played**

_It's impossible to forget the past several years. Impossible._

_Nothing is impossible. Not for me. I am strong._

**If I could change I would**

_I would tell Robin how much I cared. I would tell Beast Boy that I considered him a friend. I would tell Terra that her sacrifice was incredible, and not in vain. I would tell Cyborg that he would make a great leader. And I would tell Starfire to burn in hell._

**Take back the pain I would**

_I'd apologize for all my mistakes. I'd apologize for all the pain I caused._

**Retrace every wrong move that I made I would**

_I wouldn't be so rude to Beast Boy. I wouldn't make the Titans suffer on my behalf. Most of the Titans, anyway. _

**If I could**

_I can't._

**Stand up and take the blame I would **

_Spare the others some misery. I can handle it, even if it's unjust._

**If I could take all the shame to the grave I would**

_My life with the Titans will serve as an example. You don't mess with the Titans. There are consequences to actions. My memory will be absolutely covered in shame. They probably wish they had never met me._

**Sometimes I remember the darkness of my past**

_The Titans brought me joy when my issues with my father began. I thought I would be able to forget those horrible times and replace those memories with ones of a good life._

**Bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have**

_But now those memories need to go as well._

**Sometimes I think of letting go and never looking back**

_I have the rest of my life ahead of me. It's full of opportunities and, from this point forward, will actually be good. With no one to worry about but myself, nothing can go wrong._

**And never moving forward so there would never be a past**

_But something will. I wish I could stay in this moment forever. Don't look back, don't move on. No problems._

**Just washing it aside**

**All the helplessness inside**

_I'm independent. I have no one to help me, and that's the way it should be_.

**Pretending I don't feel misplaced**

**Is so much simpler than change**

_Wedding. Ha. I don't even want to know my family. Who cares if this life becomes a lie? Lies can be so much simpler than the truth._

**It's easier to run**

**Replacing this pain with something numb**

**It's so much easier to go **

**Than face this pain here all alone**

The loud blaring of sirens behind her snapped Raven to attention. She spun around in her seat to see two police cars about a kilometer back. Coming up behind them was the T-car. Confused, Raven turned to Kenny.

"Umm, what's going on?"

Kenny kept looking in the rearview mirror. He didn't answer.

"Kenny! You should pull over! The police are coming. There's an emergency somewhere!" Raven's intuition told her something was not right.

Kenny had the car going at over 120 down the bumpy road. They hit a pothole, and the briefcases in the back went flying. One split open, and the contents spilled out. Money. Thousands in twenty-dollar bills.

It slowly dawned on Raven that the police were after him. After them. And so were the Titans.

"What did you do, you creep!" Raven was nearly screaming, clawing at the seatbelt. "First you rob the bank, and then pick me up on your way to Gotham?"

Raven pulled off the seatbelt, prepared to jump from the car. "I want nothing to do with this! I'm leaving!"

Kenny reached into his pocket and withdrew a shiny gun. He looked her in the eye and smiled wickedly.

"I don't think so."

_Oh my goodness! What will Raven do? The gun isn't really an issue, but being caught with a bank robber by the Titans might be a little awkward. And who would believe her side of the story? Once again, please review. By the way, I already know how this fic will end. I have the song picked out. Getting there is the trouble, though. If you would like another chapter, you gotta review! –Mystyre_


	4. Unbridled Fury

_I'm going to try to update a little faster from now on. The homework's easing up, but I'm going to be busy every day after school from now until the end of the year. I'm looking forward to writing this chapter, but right now, I have no song. I'm making an executive decision here. I can't find an appropriate song for this chapter, so –gasp- there will be no song! I apologize to anyone who was looking forward to a song, but it was simply taking too long to find a good song. I didn't want to keep you all in suspense for too long. The last chapter sort of wrote itself. The story is taking a different twist than originally planned, but it'll just be a little longer than I thought it would be. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Writing a mostly Raven story (at this point) is a little weird, seeing as I am a Robin fanatic. But I obviously like Raven too. Pairing Robin with Raven is also a little different for me because I think that the various couples within the Titans all work out in their own way. Hopefully I will reveal how Starfire set Raven up, but first I need to figure that out. Some writer, huh? Anyhoo, on with the story! As always, italics equal thoughts/flashbacks, and I do not own the Teen Titans. Or do I? I also am apologizing ahead of time if Raven is OOC. She's pretty much acting throughout this chapter. Also, the rain has stopped._

_cutter-with-a-cause: Thanks for the suggestion. I love Linkin Park songs, but I think that this fic might be becoming a part-songfic part-normal fic._

_antiterra: Thanks! Wow, you really thinks so? Well, here's a songless chapter for you._

_antiterra: Thank you once again. And in Raven's book, Terra is the root of all evil._

_Angel Vanilla: Don't worry, I have no intentions of stopping anytime soon. I'll just threaten to! Thank you for loving it! -blushes-_

_Insanity 101: Foolish human! Think that can stop me? Muhahahahaha! Yeah, you would never see Robin again. How did you get him in the first place? Coming from you, that means a lot. You've partially guessed the story line, but there are some changes. Hope you like this chapter._

_honeybee91210: Aw, thanks! Thank you thank you thank you!_

_mysti-eyed: Thank you! I finally gave up on trying to find a song, but I hope you like this chapter too!_

_tt: Well, now you can be thrilled for a good reason! I feel so special, Lol. _

_nick: Hmmm, I don't know a lot of heavy metal. But I didn't use a song, so hope you enjoy!_

_...: Weird name, Lol. I have elected to honor your request. THERE IS NO SONG!_

_ELM-Tree-10: Raven is ok, but she will get into trouble._

_MuyChikita: Like your pen name. Thank you for introducing me to Shut Up. Love the lyrics. Might be able to use it in a future chapter. _

_saf: Yeah, there is no song this time. Simple Plan rocks, but I haven't heard all their songs. Thanks for the suggestions._

_DarkGoddessAngel101: I updated, but alas, there is no song._

_DarkGoddessAngel101: I love those songs! Whisper is one of my favorites. I'm definitly using it later._

_Otakualways: Such a faithful reviewer! Yeah, it did suck, but now I am updating! Thanks for the suggestions._

_aquaTitangirl: You've guessed part of the plot! Wow. Hope you like this chapter._

_Febreese: No song. That is a good idea, but I hope you like what I came up with as well._

_Alex: I wasn't one hundred percent sure, but I've figured it out now. Hope you enjoy._

_The Devils Nightmare: Songs do enhance a fic, but I couldn't find one. Hope it's still ok without one. Thanks for being a faithful reviewer!_

_Redmage2: Thank you thank you thank you!_

_The Wings ofa Raven: Thanks so much! Here is an update for you._

_DarkSin: That was one of many possible routes the story could have taken...I changed my mind. Hope you enjoy._

_Otakualways: You'll be surprised. Hope you enjoy._

_Hafewolfdemon: I never thought of that. Geez, I feel stupid. But I think that the story is interesting like this. Hope you do too._

_Child Of Blood: Once again, a faithful reviewer! Good idea, but I chose another one I think you'll like._

_The Devils Nightmare: Starfire is a little...ehh. Yeah, I know how you feel. Post that story! Thank you! I think all the Teen Titan couples work out in their own way. Thanks!_

Kenny had one eye on Raven and the other eye on the road. The gun filled Raven's vision as he cocked it and prepared to fire if Raven moved. Though Raven knew she could easily take this guy down, she felt a surge of panic within her. Here she was, with a criminal, in the same car, driving away from Jump City. How would she explain this? Who would believe her? Raven groaned inwardly at her predicament.

"Why did you pick me up?" Raven asked. "You could have continued on to Gotham City alone, so why drag an innocent citizen into it?"

Kenny laughed mirthlessly. "You're my excuse. I say you're the one who stole the money and threatened me if I didn't drive you. I know who you are. Raven, a Teen Titan. Or should I say a former Teen Titan. You obviously weren't headed to Gotham for a vacation, so I reasoned you were running away. Whether of your own free will or because you have no choice I did not know.

"I figured if you were running away you would have used your powers to get as far away as possible. If you had been asked to leave you would want to stay fairly close to Jump City for sentimental reasons. You were hitchhiking because you wanted to appear as just another teen. You weren't sure if you wanted to use your powers. So I decided that picking you up would be a very smart move."

Raven took her hand off of the door handle and looked back. The police cars were falling behind, but the T-car was closing in. Curse Cyborg and his advanced technology! If the Titans caught her, she would end up in jail, no questions asked.

Raven had two choices. One, to increase the speed of the car so it would outdistance the T-car, or two, stop Kenny and risk getting put in jail. Not that a jail could hold her, but she was sure Cyborg would custom design something.

What to do? She knew the right thing to do, but she also knew that making that choice would be wrong for her. But Kenny was using her. And no one used Raven. Simply for revenge, Raven decided to take him down.

Raven teleported out of the car before Kenny realized she had moved. She could see him looking bewildered as to where she had gone from above the car. He fired the gun at where she should have been, and the bullet shattered the window. She levitated ahead of the car to a spot where she could set up a simple force field. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she cried. Kenny, ever the bright one, was not looking at the road, but was peering out the passenger window for Raven. Kenny crashed right into the field, his car crumpling under the impact. One tire rolled down the deserted road, and the engine caught on fire. Coming down to the ground, Raven confirmed that he was still alive, though he seemed unconscious and had multiple injuries. None were life threatening, so she put out the fire in the engine and decided to let the doctors heal him instead of wasting her powers on this delinquent. He didn't deserve any of her help.

Leaving him unconscious in the ruined vehicle, Raven heard the T-car pull up behind her. Robin burst out of the front passenger's side, followed by the other Titans. Cyborg had his sonic cannon out, Robin had several exploding discs in his hand, Starfire had starbolts ready, and Beast Boy appeared prepared to turn into any animal.

"Don't move." Robin advanced towards Raven along with Cyborg. Starfire hovered overhead along with Beast Boy in eagle form.

Raven complied, trying to formulate a plan in her mind. A simple yet effective one came to mind, and she settled on it. Simply use her teleporting abilities to remove herself from this situation. But she knew the moment that she did she would become a fugitive. Wanted by the police. Kenny would pin his crime on her, and he would be believed.

Raven took a step back. "I said, don't move," Robin growled.

She put her hands up in an act of surrender. The Titans seemed wary as whether to trust her or not.

"You're under arrest. Come quietly." Cyborg seemed reluctant to be saying this to her, but he had no choice. His sonic cannon was leveled at her head.

"Can you tell me why I am being arrested?" Raven asked, hands on her hips. This question was simply to stall them, but she truly wondered why they wished to arrest her.

"You just harmed a civilian and destroyed private property." Robin sounded bored, as if this was the most obvious statement ever made. Raven realized that she had just committed a crime. At least that's what the law would call it. She called it self-defense.

She wasn't sure how to respond to that accusation, especially because it was true. She decided to try playing the victim. Maybe she could somehow earn some sympathy.

"He was pointing a gun at my head!" Raven exclaimed, allowing emotion to enter her voice.

Cyborg and Robin looked at each other. Would they believe her? Raven waited for their reaction.

Robin looked directly into her eyes. "I don't believe you." His voice was flat and emotionless. Apparently he had no trouble with hauling her off to jail.

Raven's facial expression hardened. "I'm telling the truth!" Why wouldn't they believe her? Oh, right. She "betrayed" them.

"You're under arrest. Put your hands in the air, and walk slowly towards us." Robin was all business.

Sick of these stupid games, Raven resolved to resist. She had had enough emotional turmoil in the past few hours to last for the rest of her life. Time to take action.

Raven's hands began to glow black. The Titans recognized she was prepared to fight. Positioning herself in a fighting stance, Raven waited.

"Don't come any closer," Raven seethed. She was not in the mood for this. Only four hours ago she had been a Titan. Now they were going to take her to jail.

"You're under arrest." Cyborg stated, re-leveling his sonic cannon with her head. They weren't going to be taking it easy on her if it came to a fight.

Raven levitated several feet off of the ground. She could feel anger building up within her.

"Am I? First you kick me out of my home, and now you're going to drag me back to Jump City so you can put me on display as a criminal? I don't think so." Raven wasn't one to resist authority, especially when it came to the law, but she was innocent. Not that anyone would care to know.

"You can come quietly, or we can get loud." Cyborg's favorite line. The line Raven despised with everything in her.

Enough was enough. Casting all hopes of patching things up aside, she let all her anger out at the Titans.

"Then let's get loud, tin man."

Cyborg's cannon shot directly at her face. Thinking fast, she created two force fields. The blast hit the first force field and bounced off of it, hitting the second one. The angle at which the second force field was placed redirected the blast directly at Starfire, who reeled back at the blow.

"That's for lying about me!" Raven shouted, dodging a flurry of starbolts. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. She wanted to destroy the Titans.

She reached down telekinetically and opened the hatch in Cyborg's back. She pulled loose some of the circuits and sent black needles through his system, causing him to temporarily shut down. He collapsed on the ground.

"That's for jumping to conclusions!" Raven declared, and added as an afterthought, "And for that disgusting wet willie!"

Robin threw four exploding discs at her. Simply dropping to the ground, the discs exploded several feet above her. She used her powers to summon a giant telekinetic hand (A.N. like on The Lost Episode) and slapped Robin twenty feet away.

"That's for making me the enemy!" Raven cried. A green eagle began scratching at her face. Drops of blood slid down her flushed cheeks as she put a telekinetic hold on Beast Boy. He morphed back into his human form, desperation in his eyes.

"Look what you're doing, Raven! You're destroying your friends," he pleaded. Raven glared at him.

"I'm not Terra, Beast Boy. Your sappy words can't stop me. And YOU – ARE – NOT – MY – FRIENDS!" She brought her glowing hands together, slowly crushing him. He gasped for air as his face paled. Raven smirked at his pathetic form. His head lolled to the side just as Raven saw Starfire quickly approaching from her left. Her telekinetic grip on him ceased, and Beast Boy fell to the ground, unconscious.

"That's for doubting me," Raven said to herself. She turned towards Starfire, who had just sent off a starbolt. Raven avoided it, but foolishly turned her back on the enemy. She felt Starfire turn her around by the hood of her cloak.

Starfire's fist connected with Raven's nose. Raven could feel the cartilage break under the alien's incredible strength. Bringing her knee into Starfire's stomach, Raven began to tear at Starfire's hair. Kicking and screaming, Starfire's eyes glowed green as lasers knocked Raven back ten feet. Furious at this alien lunatic, Raven let her father's side completely loose.

Four red eyes glowed from Raven's face. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven screamed as loud as she could. Starfire was surrounded by black energy. Bringing her hands downward, Raven slammed Starfire five feet through the dirt. A cloud of dust billowed up from the point of contact, hiding the ground from view.

"That's for taking advantage of me." Raven felt like she could burst at any given moment.

Raven willed herself to calm down, knowing that she might regret what she could do in a fit of rage. Feeling her eyes return to normal, she examined the ground for any signs of the Titans.

Starfire was twitching slightly in the hole she had created. Cyborg had repaired himself and had just shut the door of the T-car, where he had apparently deposited Beast Boy. But Raven could not see Robin.

Suddenly a birdarang struck Raven in the hip. Robin was on the ground, almost directly below her. He fired his grappling hook up at her. Raven had no time to react. It wrapped itself around her waist, and Robin tried to drag her down to earth.

"Not today," she said through gritted teeth. She shot into the air like a bullet, dragging Robin behind her like a speedboat pulling a water skier. Except Robin did not look like he was enjoying his ride.

"All the better," Raven thought. She went higher into the atmosphere, knowing it would be tough for Robin to breathe at this altitude. She could see his chest constrict as he fought for the precious oxygen he knew was not there. Being from another dimension, the thin air did not affect Raven as much.

Robin seemed to be doing something with the handle of the grappling hook. He pressed a button, and suddenly he was much closer to Raven than he had been a second ago. Raven realized that he was reeling the cord back in, and in the process trying to get to Raven.

Within seconds, Robin was clinging to Raven piggyback style. He shouted something unintelligible in her ear. He squeezed her shoulders tightly, trying not to fall off. Raven decided now was a good moment for an air show.

She hovered in the air momentarily, and then shot upward and to the right. Turning corners quickly, she attempted to shake Robin off of her shoulders. She looped the loop seven times, then turned around to check on her passenger.

Robin looked very pale. Beads of sweat glistened off of his forehead as he gasped for air. Raven wondered how high up she was. Then it dawned on her. Robin was suffocating. She was killing him. She ignored a momentary pang of guilt and reminded herself of everything he had done to her in the past several hours. This was what it was all about. Revenge, pure and simple. If she couldn't be a Titan, why should they get to be Titans. She was going to break them up. And after all, what better way to break up the Titans than to take out their leader. But where was the fun in letting him die where no one but her could see. Her evil side demanded a much more dramatic funeral. Raven realized that she had four glowing eyes again, and that she was having the most fun she ever had. Time to get overdramatic.

"Robin, are you ok?" Raven acted shocked. She was going to enjoy this. "Oh Robin, are you suffocating? Is there anything I can do?" Raven laughed maliciously. Robin couldn't speak, and his body was becoming forbiddingly limp.

"Do you need oxygen? Well, then. I better get you some." With an evil chortle, Raven let Robin's almost-dead form plunge earthward. She followed about twenty feet behind it.

"Ohhhh, Cyborg," Raven sang, feeling like an accomplished villain. "Your best friend is about to meet his doom. Shouldn't you save him? Oh, that's right! You don't know he's coming."

Raven increased her speed until she was below Robin, and she was facing him as he fell. "Oh, Robin!" She cried, hands on her cheeks. "You seem to be falling to your doom! Too bad your _girlfriend _Starfire isn't here to save you," she said, her words full of spite. Not that Robin could here her. He had passed out.

Raven could see the ground now. She could see Cyborg peering up into the cloudy sky, looking for them. Starfire stood next to him.

"Hey, Starfire!" Raven called. "Your boyfriend and I had a little _falling out._" Raven laughed at her pathetic joke. Shock registered on Starfire's face as she realized Robin was freefalling and about to hit the ground. She shot into the air, arms outstretched towards Robin. Raven laughed mirthlessly as Starfire gathered Robin into her arms. Starfire slowly descended to earth, cradling Robin like a baby. Raven followed slowly, wanting to see the other Titan's reaction to their leader's near death. Raven laughed again and cupped her hands to her mouth, shouting, "That's for breaking my heart!"

A quiet voice in Raven's mind reprimanded her for her despicable actions. Raven recognized the voice as The Voice Of Reason.

"Raven," Reason admonished. "How could you do such a thing? You nearly shattered every bone in Starfire's body, you could have destroyed Cyborg's system, which would have killed him, you almost crushed Beast Boy, and you nearly suffocated Robin and then let him plunge to his death?"

"Yeah," Raven giggled viciously. "Four different was of killing people. Am I creative or what?"

Reason was not amused. "You almost killed them. You should feel guilty. Or are you becoming your father's daughter?"

Raven recoiled as if she had been struck in the face. She recalled the terrified expressions that had been plastered across the Titan's faces. How could she have done such a thing? Who would do that to anyone?

Raven bowed her head. "I'm sorry. I don't want to be like my father. You're right. And because of my actions, I'll have to go to jail. And now I deserve it." Robin's nearly dead face was all Raven could see. She had almost killed the person she cared most for.

Raven felt like slapping herself. "What kind of a person are you?" she screamed inwardly at herself. "You almost killed your former friends! True, they betrayed you, but betrayal pales in comparison to murder! You should be disgusted with yourself!" And now she was. Never again would she do anything in anger. Her father's presence in her would be too strong.

What to do? Raven knew she had to apologize, but they wouldn't accept it. And she wouldn't blame them. But she at least had to try.

Raven slowly approached the area where the Titans were gathered. Beast Boy was still in the T-Car, but Cyborg and Starfire were kneeling next to a very dead looking Robin. His skin appeared clammy, and was still pale. His chest rose, but it was barely noticeable. Raven forgot her anger at being betrayed. Casting caution to the wind, she knelt beside Robin and the other Titans.

"What do you want?" Cyborg growled. "Haven't you done enough damage?" He was scanning Robin, but Raven couldn't tell what the results were.

Raven placed one hand on Robin's forehead. "I am so sorry. You have every right to be mad at me, but anger will not save Robin. Let me help."

Cyborg looked at Starfire and sighed. They backed off slightly, indicating that Raven was free to get to work.

Raven's hand began to glow a bluish-purple. She closed her eyes and concentrated on sending healing power into Robin. For several minutes all was quiet. Then Robin flinched slightly under Raven's hand. His eyes remained closed, but his breaths were deeper and steadier. His color returned, and his skin warmed up. Raven sighed in relief. He was going to live.

"Is Beast Boy all right?" Raven asked in a small voice. Cyborg nodded. "He will be," he said. "At least once we wrap his ribs." Raven groaned.

Raven held out her wrists. Cyborg looked at them questioningly. "I'm guilty, remember? I'm going to jail." Cyborg walked about eight feet to the T-car to get a pair of handcuffs when a sudden noise from twenty feet away startled Raven. Kenny rose from the wreckage, blood dripping from his face. He had his gun in his hand, and his eyes were wide. Before Raven had time to process the scene, Kenny fired, and the bullet thudded into Raven's midsection.

"That," he said, blowing the smoke away. "Is for wrecking my car."

_I'm sorry! Raven went a little crazy for a while there. This chapter sort of took away from the whole 'Raven is ready to destroy Starfire and never wants to see the Titans again' thing, but I had a great time writing it. Battle scenes are always so much fun. I couldn't believe when Raven almost killed Robin, though. I wrote it, but I'm surprised I wrote it. I think that I am improving as a writer, though. Once again, please review, and thanks for all the song suggestions! I'm going to use some of them in future chapters. Unless you want the story to stop here? Because if there are no reviews, then there are no more chappies. So until then, -Mystyre_


	5. Caught in the Wake

_I was so happy when I saw all the reviews, I thought that I would update as fast as possible. Reading all of those overly kind reviews makes me so happy! . The only time I have to write is in the evenings and in the early mornings, because I'll be busy with sports every day after school. Because I live in Canada, the only channel that airs Teen Titans is YTV, and they take forever to get the new episodes up. They finally finished season three by showing a new episode once a week, but this week I get ALL NEW EPISODES! And I'm really happy about that. I tape every episode. As you know, Inner Workings is no longer a complete songfic. I will use songs a lot, but if I feel that having a song would take away from the action of a chapter, then I won't use one. I don't think I'll use a song for this chapter, but I promise a song in the chapter after this! Just a heads up, I don't know a whole lot about medical procedures, so please forgive any mistakes I make in this chapter. The last chapter was mostly a battle scene, so this chapter will focus on the aftermath. Once again, thanks to all my reviewers! By the way, nothing blew up when Raven lost control of her emotions because she directed all her anger at the Titans. Part way through the fic I wondered if I should change my entire story line and make Raven a villain. But I decided not to. Sorry to anyone who wanted her to be a villain. Also, Starfire really likes the other Titans, just not Raven, in case you couldn't tell. She's not feeling particularly evil in this chapter, mostly because she isn't around Raven. But that does not change the fact that she is indeed evil! Anyhoo, on with the show!_

_Black Raven: Thank you. Here's an update._

_nick: I have something much more sinister in mind. (Evil cackle)_

_tt: Hope you haven't exploded yet. Though when you get to the end of this chapter you might. That is, if you like this chapter…_

_sum1: here you go! here you go! here you go!_

_Desiree L. Wallen: Thanks so much!_

_Desiree L. Wallen: Flatterer._

_Angel Vanilla: You shall see what I have in store. And one of those options is correct!_

_a reader: thank you thank you thank you_

_Rust-a-Dust: very unique name. Wow. Thanks. Coming from you that means a lot, seeing as you rock at writing. You lucky person! Why don't you send him to fight crime in my mall? Pretty please? I WANT ROBIN!_

_Digital. One Piece.: It wasn't? Darn. Yeah, I had so much fun with the fight scene. Aw, thanks!_

_Teen-Titans-Raven-: Thank you! I have finally updated! Wow, I feel special._

_Chica De Los Ojos Café: Cool name. Thank you. I hope to have some more fights in very near chapters._

_MuyChikita: Thank you so much! Everyone is so kind in their reviews. I don't think I deserve all these positive reviews. I haven't gotten any flames yet!_

_moo: here's an update and a cliffhanger. Ha ha ha._

_Chibi-Ra-Chan: thank you! I haven't actually heard the song, just read the lyrics. I got the lyrics off of I like those lyrics too._

_Zirora: Thanks. Yeah, I had to sort of improvise with those to tie them into the ending. I can't wait either!_

_DarkGoddessAngel101: Thanks. There will be a song in the next chapter._

_otakualways: Thanks! I read your story and quite enjoyed it. Can't remember if I reviewed, though…_

_hafewolfdemon: thanks! Here is more._

_Febreese: Thank you. Yeah, she's always there right when your having fun!_

_The Devils Nightmare: Thanks. That idea hit me halfway through. I was contemplating making Raven a villain, but decided to go with my original story line. Hope you still like it._

_mysti-eyed: Love your name. Aw, thanks! Now you get to find out!_

_DarkSin: I won't stop, unless the reviews stop! Thank you for the overly kind flattery._

_The Desperado: Good ideas for songs. There may be a chance for me to use them in future chapters._

_The Desperado: I like your name, by the way. Yeah, Raven went a little ballistic. Hope you enjoy this chapter too, though it's toned down a bit. Make that a lot._

The force of the bullet pushed Raven back several feet and drove her to her knees. Blood oozed out of the wound in a disgusting, burbling fashion. Raven groaned as a wave of pain flooded her senses. She could feel herself losing consciousness and fought to stay awake. She could see Kenny standing atop his ruined car, grinning like a maniac. She heard Cyborg yelling something, but she couldn't make it out. Using almost her last ounce of magical energy, she sent black needles directly through Kenny's head, killing him instantly. She found she felt no joy in killing anyone now. Raven tore a strip from her cloak and stuffed it in the bullet wound so the bleeding would cease.

"I have to get out of here," Raven thought, her head pounding mercilessly. Thinking as fast as her overworked brain would let her, Raven teleported into the hole Starfire had created when she fell, which was nearly a kilometer away. Thinking she was safe for the moment, Raven slipped into blessed darkness.

TT

Cyborg panicked. Raven was shot, Robin was passed out, Beast Boy had three broken ribs and a cracked rib, that dude in the car was dead, and Starfire was unaccounted for. He ran forward and knelt at Raven's side. Her eyes were glazed and half-open. Her skin was cold and sweat shone on her forehead. Her breaths were shallow, and she had a blood-soaked section of her cloak protruding from her stomach. He waved his hand in front of Raven's face. No reaction. She seemed unable to focus on anything. He turned away, sickened by the sight of her.

Cyborg called for Starfire, but she didn't respond. He turned around and saw her gingerly picking up Robin and placing him in the T-car. He was still unconscious, but looked a lot healthier than he had six minutes ago.

The handcuffs clattered in Cyborg's hands. He had no choice but to arrest her, injured or not. She had just killed a guy. And wrecked his car. Cyborg's conscience was nagging him. He shouldn't be arresting his friend, especially when she required medical attention. Seeing her lying there on the ground, blood pooled around her even paler form. Cyborg's computer mind rendered his conscience silent. Criminal first, injured second, friend third. Cyborg's human mind mentally kicked his computer mind for being so cold-hearted. But of course, machines do not care for feelings, nor do they feel pain.

"Raven," he called, unsure if she could hear him, or if she had passed out. "You're under arrest." Cyborg's voice choked on that phrase. How inconsiderate could he get? Hardening his heart, he approached her…only to see her vanish right before his eyes. Cyborg's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Wha-?" Where had she gone? She did have the power to teleport, but she couldn't have gone far, due to her condition. He approached the T-car, ready to go find her. Starfire placed a restraining hand on his arm. "We cannot attempt to arrest Raven at this moment. We must attend to Beast Boy's injuries and thoroughly examine Robin." Starfire's eyes said: 'Let the stupid girl go. We shall catch her momentarily, and lock her away from us for life.' Cyborg sighed, knowing Starfire was right about what she had verbally expressed.

Beast Boy was leaning sitting on the floor and leaning against the door, holding his stomach and groaning. Robin was laid across the backseat, and Starfire joined Cyborg in the front. They headed back to Jump City, Cyborg already radioing the cops about the dead man.

Back at Titans Tower, Cyborg helped Beast Boy into the medical lab, while Starfire carried the still zoned out Robin in. Cyborg set to work at wrapping Beast Boy's ribs to the best of his ability, while a very anxious Starfire sat beside Robin, waiting for him to show signs of awakening. Beast Boy headed off to bed as Robin was placed upon the examination bed.

Cyborg hooked him up to a heart monitor and to an IV. He leaned over Robin and placed his human ear on Robin's chest, checking for signs of shallow breathing. To Cyborg's relief, Robin's breathing seemed to be normal. His heart rate was relatively normal, considering all he had been through. Robin was clearly dehydrated, so Cyborg pumped liquids directly into his veins via the IV. All he could do now was wait.

Twenty minutes passed. Starfire was anxiously pacing the room, muttering to herself. Cyborg didn't bother trying to understand what she was talking about. He was absolutely exhausted. He desperately needed to recharge, but he felt he should be there when Robin awoke. Cyborg was certain Robin would awaken. His physical health was improving by the minute, but there could be brain damage due to lack of oxygen.

Twenty more minutes slowly ticked by. Starfire had resolved to sit in a chair directly in front of Robin, not moving her gaze from his face. She wanted to be the first thing Robin would see when he woke up. Cyborg felt his human side falling asleep, and he gave in to his body's demands.

TT

Raven lay unmoving in the ditch she had created. The flow of blood had slowed and nearly stopped as her body's clotting agent kicked in. Her uniform was soaked with blood, her cape matted with it. The scratches upon her face had become scars, and her nose was still bent in an abnormal shape. If she had been awake, the pain would have been almost too great to bear.

TT

Starfire woke Cyborg by pounding his metallic body with her fists, creating numerous dents with her alien strength. Angrily, Cyborg planted his hand on her face and pushed her away. She cried out, her voice muffled, "Robin is moving! Our friend is returning!" In his excitement, Cyborg accidentally pushed Starfire into the wall as he rushed to Robin's side. Starfire followed, undaunted.

Robin's ungloved fingers were twitching ever so slightly. This was the first movement he had shown in almost two and a half hours. Cyborg stared at his friend, biting his lip apprehensively.

Robin's fingers twitched again, this time longer and moving farther. Suddenly his entire body began to shake, and the heart monitor began screaming that his heart rate was dangerously high. Robin appeared to be having some sort of seizure. Cyborg had no idea what to do, except make sure Robin didn't fall off of the bed. Quickly strapping him down, he waited impatiently for the shaking to stop.

TT

Raven's eyelids fluttered open as she finally regained consciousness. She groaned as the pain overwhelmed her senses. Her midsection hurt terribly, so Raven didn't even consider trying to sit up. Her faced burned from the scratches Beast Boy had given her, and her broken nose ached. Grimacing, Raven cracked her nose back into place and attempted to send healing power to it. Nothing happened. She tried her mantra, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she whispered. Her voice cracked with the effort. Once again she directed healing power to her nose. And once again nothing happened.

Raven was already dizzy, but she nearly passed out again when she realized that her powers weren't working. She felt helpless without them. Forcing herself to calm down, she cleared her mind of unnecessary thoughts, including the pain signals constantly shooting into her brain.

"It's ok, Raven." She felt like an idiot talking aloud to herself, but it was the only way she could focus. "It's probably just temporary. You put a lot of energy into the battle, you used a lot of energy in healing Robin, and you got shot in the stomach. It's only temporary. Don't panic. They'll come back. It's only temporary." Raven repeated the phrase "only temporary" to herself over and over again, willing herself to believe it. But it still left her powerless for the time being.

Raven knew that she couldn't just lie in the ditch until her powers returned. She had to get as far away from Jump City as possible, and Gotham City was still the best choice. This time she would be walking, though. Never again would she get in a car with some stranger.

Raven contemplated the easiest and most painless way to get up. Keeping her abdomen straight, she pushed herself up on her hands and feet. From there she adjusted her body weight until it was all on her left arm and left leg. She grabbed a protruding rock with her right arm. Her right leg crossed over her left leg, bent at the knee, and took her body weight. She bent her left leg and ended up in a crouching position, with her abdomen fairly straight. She stood slowly on shaky legs, a head-rush temporarily blinding her.

The piece of cloth that Raven had torn from her cloak was still in the bullet hole. Not bothering to remove it, she tore another strip from the bottom of her cloak and wrapped it tightly around her entire waist. It wasn't much, but she hoped it would help. Without her powers, she couldn't heal herself. She had to get to a hospital. And she was going to have to get there on foot.

Cautiously Raven put one foot in front of the other as she made her way in the direction away from Jump City. She could see the police at the car wreck, pulling Kenny's lifeless body out of the mess. She only hoped that they wouldn't see her. Raven walked close enough to the road that she could see it, but far enough that most people wouldn't notice her walking there, or if they did notice her, they wouldn't care who she was, where she came from, or where she was going.

Raven was too lightheaded to focus on anything. She had lost a lot of blood and was still in great pain. She was walking slowly, but was not watching the ground. She did not see the long stick until she tripped over it. Instinctively she curled up and put her hands in front of her. As her waist bent, her new injury fired up again and hurt more than ever. Raven tumbled to the ground, screaming in pain, but silencing herself when she remembered that the police were nearby.

Raven reached for the stick she had tripped over and realized it was Robin's bo staff. He must have dropped it at some point in time during the battle. Though the stick had caused her fresh pain, Raven realized it was a blessing in disguise. Now she had a weapon and a walking stick, which would ease her mind about being powerless and give some support to her tired body. Turning back to the task ahead of her, Raven wearily trudged on.

TT

Robin's heart had calmed and he once again lay motionless on the bed. Motionless mostly because he was unconscious, but partly due to the restraints that wouldn't let him move. Starfire had reluctantly gone to her room for some much-needed rest, and Cyborg had recently made a trip to the kitchen for some much-needed food. He had went to check on Beast Boy, who was snoring soundly in his bed. He had briefly recharged, getting just enough juice to keep him going for a couple hours. Back in the infirmary, Cyborg settled into one of the plastic chairs with his huge plate of steak, cheese, roast beef, hamburgers, and a glass of milk. At least he had something to do until Robin woke up.

Cyborg focused on the huge feast in front of him, glancing up occasionally to see how Robin was doing. Cyborg stuffed his face for almost half an hour, and Robin's condition did not change the entire time he was eating. Robin had been out for almost four hours now, and Cyborg was getting anxious, though he tried not to show it. He found something to occupy his time constantly so his mind would not dwell on whether Robin would come out of this all right, or if he would come out of it at all. Cyborg hated to admit it, but he was scared. What if Robin died? What if Robin had extensive brain damage? What if he was paralyzed for life? Robin was frequently beat up, and on rare occasions he passed out, but Cyborg had never seen him look so lifeless for so long. Seeing his leader lying in a comatose state creeped Cyborg out. He looked so pale, so…dead. Cyborg swallowed out of fear for his leader. For his best friend. Out of anger towards Raven.

Raven. Raven had done this to his friend. Raven had almost killed every one of the Titans. She was responsible for everything that was happening. If Robin didn't make it –perish forbid–, she would be the one responsible for Robin's death. Cyborg was filled with a sudden rage. He would find Raven and throw her in prison for life. Unless he got the chance to kill her.

TT

Unaware of Cyborg's resolve to end her life, or at least destroy it, Raven continued towards Gotham City at a very slow pace. She had been about 45 minutes from Jump City when the car chase began, which meant she would make it to Gotham City in about two days if she continued on foot. She sighed, depressed.

The pain in her stomach had ceased slightly. It didn't hurt too much unless she bent her waist or pressed on that spot. Raven was very grateful for the bo staff, which she leaned heavily upon. She had been walking for about half an hour, and hadn't made a whole lot of progress, considering how far she could have been, even just walking and not levitating. She was constantly trying to tap into her powers, but was unsuccessful each time. "It's only temporary," she reminded herself. "It's only temporary."

Raven had begun to walk closer to the road, confident that no one would be looking for her yet. Several cars whizzed by, nearly drenching her as they splashed through the puddles. Raven felt utterly exhausted, but pressed on.

Twenty-three minutes passed, and it was all Raven could do to continue putting one foot in front of the other. Her shoulders drooped, which caused her abdominal pain, but she was too tired to care. Her feet dragged along the ground, her normally blue boots completely caked in mud. Thankfully her cloak was shorter because she had torn it, or the hemline would have been a muddy brown as well.

By now Raven was walking on the road, only moving when she saw a car approaching. She couldn't bother with trying to stay hidden any longer. If she didn't get help, she would die.

Raven's eyelids were drooping, but she still saw the car coming. It was dark by now, and the headlights shone directly at her. A car was fast approaching, and Raven moved to get out of the way. Or at least tried to move. Her feet felt like they were made of lead and did not respond to her mind's commands to move out of the way.

Raven's breath came in short gasps, causing her chest to heave, which caused the bullet wound to ache. Darkness was closing in on her vision. She saw the car only meters away and heard the driver blowing the horn. Raven's legs gave way under her as she collapsed onto the asphalt, unconscious. The car kept coming.

TT

Cyborg was asleep. He had been asleep for twenty-some minutes. His body demanded rest, and though he wished to stay awake he eventually drifted off. His completely clean plate lay on the floor at his feet, though the aroma of his meal lingered in the air.

Beast Boy had come down to the infirmary to visit Cyborg and see how Robin was. He was sitting on an unoccupied bed, shoulders hunched as he played a Gameboy. He was oblivious to anything and everything around him.

Starfire had returned as well. She was sitting on the bed, gently stroking Robin's hair, which had long ago lost its spike. The heart monitor beeped steadily on.

TT

There was nothing. Black nothing. All around him darkness reigned. He couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything, couldn't taste or smell anything. The only thing he could feel was the hard surface underneath him.

He couldn't think clearly. All his thoughts jumbled together in an endless string of meaningless nonsense. He couldn't focus, couldn't remember anything.

He couldn't move. His body would not respond to the commands his brain attempted to send. He was utterly helpless in the land of nothing.

TT

Minutes seemed to be hours as time crawled slowly by. The Titans continued to wait by Robin's side for any signs of consciousness. All was quiet in the infirmary. Unbearably silent.

Cyborg banged his metal fist down on a table, causing it to crack in half. The Titans jumped at the unexpected noise. Everyone stared at Cyborg, who was massaging his fist.

"Dude, are you ok?" Beast Boy inquired.

"Yes, Cyborg. Is there something troubling you?" Starfire asked stupidly.

"Umm, let me think about that. DUH! My best friend might be dying and there's nothing I can do!" Cyborg was seething.

"Hey, I thought I was your best friend!" Beast Boy sounded injured.

"Not now, Beast Boy. A guy's allowed more than one best friend." Cyborg's head was in his hands. He was clearly upset.

"It's just that I- I can't bear the thought of losing Robin." Cyborg's voice choked. He looked like he might cry. "Where would that leave the team? What would we do without Robin?"

Starfire placed a comforting hand on Cyborg's arm. "Robin will recover. He will return as leader of the Teen Titans and shall lead us as we follow Raven." Starfire's voice was at first gentle and comforting, but became hard as she thought of Raven. The stupid witch had ruined everything.

"Yeah, dude, it'll be fine. It's Robin we're talking about, right? He can do anything!" Beast Boy either didn't fully grasp the seriousness of the situation, or he was trying to be an optimist.

"Including die," Cyborg murmured. Everyone lowered their eyes.

"Uh, why don't we just take him to the hospital? They could probably help him," Beast Boy asked, eyebrows raised.

"Because he doesn't want to go to the hospital! Remember those sheets we signed when we joined the Titans? Robin wrote on his that he did not wish to ever be admitted to a hospital for personal reasons. We have to honor his wish."

"But what if taking him to the hospital means the difference between living and dying?" Beast Boy was getting a little excited. His eyes were big, as if he finally realized Robin might die.

"If it gets really serious, then we'll have to take him to the hospital." Cyborg stated. "Even against his wishes."

"But that's the problem! We don't know how serious this is!" Beast Boy was waving his arms around dramatically. "He could die right now!" Everyone looked at Robin to confirm he was alive.

Cyborg swallowed. He wished he didn't have to deal with this. As temporary leader, it would be up to him to make the executive decision. "If he doesn't wake up in an hour, or at least move, we'll take him to the hospit-" Cyborg's words were cut off by loud beeps coming from the heart monitor. Cyborg rushed to Robin's side, immediately followed by the other Titans.

Robin's entire body was convulsed with seizures. He strained against the restraints, and Cyborg wondered if they would hold. His heart rate was off the charts. His breath came in short gasps and the shaking of his body caused the bed to rock dangerously.

Cyborg placed both of his hands on Robin's shoulders to try to stop the shaking. "Come on, Robin!" he shouted, hoping that somehow Robin could hear him. "You can get through this! Come on!" Cyborg had a hard time holding Robin down. Robin was stronger than ever.

Suddenly the shaking stopped. As did Robin's heartbeat. The loud drone of the heart monitor filled the room. Robin collapsed back onto the bed, completely still.

"Beast Boy," Cyborg said through gritted teeth. "Call the hospital."

TT

The driver of the dark car stopped when he saw the girl collapse. He approached her slowly and realized she was completely unconscious. He turned her over to her back, and saw the bandage around her waist. Blood was crusted on the dark blue material and he recognized that her injury was a bullet wound. Picking her up as gently as possible, he placed the pale teenager in the back of his car. He turned around and headed back in the direction of Gotham City.

_Finally an update. Because I'm such a nice person, I've left you with two cliffhangers instead of just one! Bwahahaha. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and a special thanks to M M T K who sent me a personal email complimenting this story. I finished this story Saturday evening, but didn't post it until Sunday or Monday, I don't know. I finally completed the first chapter of Lost, and posted a new songfic called If We Hold On Together. Please check them out and tell me what you think. I'll try to update soon, and will get to work on the next chapter as soon as I find a song. By the way, who wants songs, who doesn't want songs, and who doesn't care? I need to have some opinions. Thanks in advance for the reviews. Hoping Robin and Raven are all right –Mystyre_


	6. Two for One

_Once again, a lot of positive reviews! Awesome! I feel so special, LOL. Just one request, though. My paranoid parents installed WE-BLOCKER on our computer, partly because I have younger siblings, so if you guys could please refrain from swearing in the reviews, otherwise I can't read the reviews._

_I have a problem that must be dealt with. As some of you know, I wrote a songfic called If We Hold On Together. I got some good reviews on it, but the admin's deleted because "the content is not the property of the author" or something like that. That really pissed me off, because it locked my account for a week, so I didn't get a chance to update. I wouldn't really have had one anyway, because this week was super busy. I didn't have any time at all to update. Here I am on Friday evening doing a beginning to a chapter before I head off to bed because I have to get up really early tomorrow. Anyway, I regret to announce that there will be very few chapters with songs after this one, because I did promise a song for this chapter. I don't want to risk getting this story deleted as well. Also, I can't do the choose your adventure because of the stupid rules! I'll do one anyway and post it somewhere else on the Internet._

_I'm really excited because YTV is showing new episodes, and we're almost at the end of Season 4, but it's also sad. Anyway, all that I have left is The End trilogy. The Prophecy, for those who have seen it, is awesome. BTW, let me know what episodes are being shown where you guys are in your reviews, just because I'm curious. The funniest episode by far this entire show, all seasons included is, in my opinion, Stranded. I just find Robin's expressions absolutely hilarious. Anyhoo, on with the story, and please review! And for the first time in forever, bold equals lyrics, and italics equals thoughts/flashbacks/dreams. Here we go! Oh, one more thing. I apologize to anyone who found the seizure thing offensive. I just thought it suited the situation, so I added it in to make the situation appear more dire. Finally, you can read the story! I apologize ahead of time for any medical mistakes I will make._

_Sorry, one last thing, and it is the very last. For those of you who have read The Lord of the Rings, the chapters are in a format that focuses on just one area at a time, but things are going on at the same time. Because of the ideas I want to put into this chapter, I will be doing the chapter in two separate sections, but this stuff is going on at the same time. Ok? Ok. NOW YOU READ! I'll shut up._

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, or Evanescence, or Zonota. (The lyrics are slightly altered)**

_xdire.vixenx: Thank you! As previously stated, I like your story as well. I know exactly what you mean._

_nick: I have finally updated! Thanks._

_sum1: My account was locked, and I've been super busy. I've finally updated, though._

_ELM-Tree10: Thank you! You shall see. Yes it is a Rae/Rob pairing. I have updated! Go me!_

_The person whose review my computer blocked but I read on another computer: Thank you very much. I have updated!_

_Insanity 101: I like them either way as well, so I'm trying to get some opinions. Believe me, I would be the first in line to kill me if I let Robin die. I just like to watch him suffer a little. You are correct. I figured most people would guess that. The seizure thing was just on impulse, so I added it. If you let Robin visit, you would never see him again, so as much as I want him, I'll just have to be content with knowing he is in capable hands. (Until I break into your house, lol) That's all right. Sometimes I don't see Broken updates for a while either. I'm a person who actually enjoys math, so I can't really relate to your predicament. If it was social, however..._

_moo: I just had to make you guys suffer a bit. I'm sorry. I have fans? Weird, yet cool. I hope that they'll let you out of the rubber room long enought to read this chapter, lol. Thanks!_

_nick: (again) I'm sorry, my evil side had a little bit of an issue of not being let out enough. I didn't want to do that, seeing as the previous driver was insane, and Batman will come into the story. Good ideas, though. And I didn't say she is a murderer. She would be considered a murderer if Robin died, and he didn't die in the last chapter._

_DarkGoddessAngel101: Thank you, and I shall try! (x2)_

_KhmerGurll113: Thanks! Sorry the update took so long._

_babyHarry: Thank you! That shall come in time. Robin might be ok, you'll have to read to find out. And it will be a happy ending, I think._

_The Desperado: Thanks! I'm excited about that too, because I'm not sure what will happen yet either._

_Otakualways: It makes me so happy that you're a faithful reviewer! You shall see in this chapter. Star is being a jerk and so is Cyborg. I know. Hope you like this chapter._

_Chica De Los Ojos Cafe: Robin will be ok. You shall see. If you die, I'll bring roses to your funeral. Just kidding. Hope you enjoy._

_mysti-eyed: I can and did, lol. You shall see. You are very close. I like to watch Robin suffer. Here is a new chapter!_

_The Devils Nightmare: I'm sorry. I updated, finally. You shall see who is driving the car._

_-Teen-Titans-Raven-: Thank you! Glad you enjoy it. They'll be all right, I hope._

_And to all others whom I have carelessly forgotten. You guys are awesome and I give you all a standing ovation. Thanks for reviewing this story!_

The car was silent as the driver contemplated what to do with the girl lying unconscious in the backseat. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, with a grayish complexion and short purple hair plastered to her sweat-covered forehead. She wore a black leotard with a long blue cloak and blue boots. She had a purple stone on her forehead for what he guessed to be religious reasons. She wasn't very tall, but had an intimidating presence even when she was unconscious. His heart went out to the poor girl. Why had she been walking along that road alone? Had she no parents? And the bullet wound in her abdomen! He felt a fury raging within him when he wondered what kind of lowlife would do that to a teenager. He shook his head in frustration. No one deserved that.

It was nearly midnight by now. He was still quite far from Gotham City. He hadn't been planning to return to Gotham City for at least several days. He hoped that those he had intended to visit would not be too disappointed that he did not show up. Plans had changed, and he feared he would be quite busy for the next several weeks.

Raven moaned in agony as she regained consciousness. Where was she? Blinking moisture from her eyes, she looked at her surroundings. She was in a car. With a man. WITH A MAN! The last time she had done that, less than twelve hours ago, it had been a nearly fatal mistake. Why was she in a car? The last thing she remembered was hitting the asphalt in a dead faint with a car coming straight towards her. Was this the car that almost hit her? Who was driving it? Where was he taking her?

Knowing the questions would not answer themselves, she sat up as much as possible without causing further pain. The driver noticed her in his rearview mirror and broke into a smile. He had dark hair and blue eyes and appeared to be quite tall. His smile did not set Raven at ease; instead it made her panic. Talk about déjà vu.

"I see you're awake," the man said. His voice was deep and kind. Though he seemed genuinely nice, Raven was still wary of strangers.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Where did that come from? Oh, of course! From Caution and Prejudice. This man looked like the type of person who would have no problem with kidnapping and raping a teen girl. It was the hair and the glint in his eyes. Though his voice oozed warmth, Raven refused to trust him.

The man laughed. "I suppose you wonder what you're doing here?"

"No duh." Raven crossed her arms, then grimaced as an arm brushed against her battle wound.

"Well, let me explain. My name is Bruce Wayne, and – "

"What? You're who?" The man raised an eyebrow at Raven's interruption, but repeated his name.

"Bruce Wayne. Is that a problem?" He smiled again.

"No, it's just that, well, you're famous. And rich. I didn't really see someone like you driving their own car in the middle of the night." Bruce Wayne. As in THE Bruce Wayne. Raven shook her head in amazement. Usually celebrities didn't faze her, but everyone has heard of Bruce Wayne, the multi-billionaire. Wow.

"Yeah, well, rich and famous is not all I am." Bruce laughed again, then sobered quickly as if trying to hide something. "I also happen to like driving my own car. Anyway, I suppose you want to know what's going on?"

Raven nodded.

"After you collapsed on the road, I stopped and picked you up. That was about an hour ago. You've been unconscious since. You're in my car, obviously, and we are on the way to Gotham City."

Raven couldn't believe this. She was in a car with Bruce Wayne, going to her original destination. She had no more fears about him being treacherous, now that she knew his name.

There was a brief silence. Raven realized she had not introduced herself, and proceeded to do so.

"Umm, my name is Raven." This time it was Bruce who looked shocked.

"Raven? As in the Teen Titan Raven? I thought there was something familiar about you. I've read about the Teen Titans in the paper." Raven bit her lip and looked away.

"No, more like Raven, the ex-Teen Titan. I was kicked out last night." Raven felt an urge to tell Bruce everything that had happened.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bruce asked.

Raven smiled weakly. "If you'll listen," she replied.

Raven began her tale with Robin confronting her about abusing her powers and possessing Starfire. She explained why she had wanted to go to Gotham City, and how she had tried to get there. Raven grimaced as she told Bruce about Kenny and how he had tried to set her up. She felt, and assumed she looked, guilty, as she relayed the details about her fight with the other Titans. She didn't tell him that she almost killed each Titan. All she said was, "We had this fight, and I pretty much lost my temper." When Raven told Bruce about Kenny shooting her, he looked disgusted. Raven finished telling Bruce almost everything that had happened up from leaving the Tower to losing consciousness on the road.

She had to admit, she felt a lot better. Someone knew what was going on, and sided with her. She had an ally now.

"Listen, it's going to be quite a ride to Gotham City. Why don't you get some more sleep? You probably really need it," Bruce commented.

Raven yawned in agreement and curled up on the back seat, falling asleep almost instantly.

Raven walked into the main room of Titans Tower, looking for a book she thought she had left there, but quickly forgot all about the book. Her eyes took in a horrid scene playing out on the couch. Starfire and Robin were fiercely kissing each other, bodies so close she couldn't tell where one began and the other ended. Starfire's hand was running through Robin's hair, and Robin's hands were massaging Starfire's neck.

_Raven couldn't say anything. She didn't want to say anything._

_Robin's back was toward Raven, so Starfire was the first to notice their audience. _

"_What do you want, witch?" she snarled, breaking away from the kiss._

_Robin turned around. "Geez, Raven. We're having a private moment here! Mind your own business."_

_Still no words came from Raven's mouth. _

_Starfire stood up, brushing long hair from her face. "Oh, Robin. Did you not have something to say to Raven?" Her voice was very soft and cooing as she looked at Robin dreamily. _

"_Thanks for reminding me, Star." Robin stood up as well and took Starfire's hand._

"_Starfire and I are getting married," Robin said, a big smile on his face. _

"_B-but you're only teenagers!" Raven stammered. She had found her voice._

"_On my planet, we are considered adults," Starfire replied coldly. "Wasn't there something more you wanted to say, Robin?"_

"_Don't worry, dear, I haven't forgotten." Raven's stomach churned at the 'dear' part._

"_We've decided that having five Teen Titans just isn't working out. Five is just such an awkward number, you know. Starfire and I discussed what we should do, and we've decided that you need to leave."_

_Raven's jaw dropped, and she couldn't turn her thoughts into words. _

"_Don't worry, Raven. We've found you a job!" Starfire proclaimed wickedly. "We signed you up to be a clown at the hospital for the next ten years!"_

"Noooooo!" Raven shot up, eager to leave all fragments of the dream behind, ignoring the pain in her abdomen. Bruce looked at her, concern in his eyes.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Raven nodded. "Just a bad dream," she whispered.

"Say, Raven, sorry this is off topic, but you have powers, including a healing ability. Why don't you heal yourself?" Bruce wasn't trying to be rude, he was just curious.

"I can't. My powers – they're gone." The pain of being powerless returned.

Bruce raised an eyebrow in question. "Are you sure they're gone? Or are they just disabled? You've been through a lot, you know."

"I'm hoping that this is temporary, but somehow I think that they're really gone."

Bruce smiled comfortingly. "Don't be too sure, Raven. They'll probably return, after you get some rest and we clean up your wounds. On that note, is there anywhere in Gotham City that you are planning to stay?"

Raven shook her head. "I haven't really had time to think about that."

"Well, how would you feel about staying with me for a while? I've got plenty of room," Bruce offered.

Raven smiled gratefully. "That would be nice. Thank you," she replied shyly.

Raven stretched out on the back seat, arms behind her head. At least there were some good people in the world.

Good. What a deceiving word. Everyone thought Starfire was good, and they were wrong. People would rather see what they wanted to see, instead of looking for the truth. And obviously all the Titans would rather see Starfire than Raven.

**Perfect by nature, I come for self indulgence **

**Just what we all need, more lies about a world **

**That never was and never will be**

_The plastic world that everyone seemed happy with is just an illusion. Turn off the light and you'll see the shadows._

**Have you no shame don't you see me?**

_Selfish world. Always look out for number one._

**You know you've got everybody fooled**

_Starfire has the Titans in the palm of her hand. Who knows how she'll manipulate them? I should do something, but they wouldn't let me. Not after all the destruction I caused. I pretty much threw away any chance I had at making amends._

**Look, here she comes now**

**Bow down and stare in wonder**

_Beauty is deceiving. Put up a false front and no one will bother to see what's behind it._

**Oh, how we love you**

**No flaws when you're pretending**

_Starfire, Starfire, Starfire. Always about Starfire. The delicate one. The one who needs protection. The one that everyone is all to eager to love. As long as she continues her act, no one will ever know the truth._

**But now I know**

**She never was and never will be**

_She's got Robin one hundred percent fooled. Imagine his face if he ever finds out the truth._

**You don't know how you betrayed me**

_Maybe getting me out of the Tower and away from Robin was the original plan, but look where I've ended up. A delinquent with a criminal record, and the cops will probably come after me. Hopefully Gotham City is big enough for me to hide in._

**And somehow you've got everybody fooled**

_Perhaps Starfire is some sort of evil demon in disguise, sent here by my father to teach me a lesson. Yeah, right._

**Without the mask where will you hide**

_If I could have one wish, it would be that the true nature of Starfire would be revealed. Once they knew the truth, she'd have no chance of winning them back._

**Can't find yourself**

**Lost in your lies**

_Maybe under all those layers of evil and hate, there's a flicker of good, only emerging when it comes to Robin. Does she even love him? Or is she pretending just because she doesn't want me to love him?_

**I know the truth now**

**I know how you are**

**And I don't love you anymore**

_Our friendship has gone down the drain. How could I have been so foolish as not to notice what was going on right in front of me?_

**And it never was and never will be**

**You don't know how you betrayed me**

**And somehow you've got everybody fooled**

_Maybe I was never meant to be a Titan. Maybe this is happening because I'm about to find out what I really need to do in my life. But I'd rather believe that it's all part of a conspiracy against me._

**It never was and never will be**

**You're not real and you can't save me**

**And somehow now you're everybody's fool**

"Raven?"

Raven looked up as Bruce turned around.

"Welcome to Gotham City."

TT

Beast Boy ran upstairs in cheetah form, racing for the nearest phone. Starfire was freaking out, practically tearing her hair from her head. Cyborg had an idea of what to do, but he wasn't sure if it would help or completely kill Robin.

Cyborg took Beast Boy's Gameboy and opened the back so that the batteries were exposed. He pulled a lamp from the ceiling and stripped the protective coating off of the wire. Attaching the wire to the batteries, he placed the other end of the wire in Robin's ungloved hand. Hoping that this would work, he placed a single drop of water on the batteries.

A jolt of electricity shot through Robin's body, causing it to shoot two feet in the air, breaking the restraints. The heart monitor screamed as Robin's heart resumed beating, dangerously fast, but beating nonetheless. Cyborg sighed in relief, wiping sweat from his face. He could have killed Robin.

Beast Boy came running down the stairs, a cordless phone in his hand. He saw his completely fried Gameboy on the bed and panicked. "Dude! You totally wrecked my Gameboy! I was about to beat the level!"

"Your Gameboy saved Robin's life," Cyborg said, sounding very subdued.

"Wow. Um, I called the hospital, and they're sending a helicopter to pick Robin up. One of us can ride with him, and the other two will meet him at the hospital. Do you want to ride in the helicopter?" Cyborg nodded.

"You're going to have to drive the T-car, Beast Boy." Beast Boy didn't even look very excited at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

They all looked at Robin, whose heart rate had slowed a little, but was still quite fast. His skin remained pale and Starfire was mopping sweat from his forehead.

"You and Starfire head for the hospital right now," Cyborg said. "I'll meet you there later." Starfire and Beast Boy nodded, already halfway up the stairs.

Cyborg heard the whirring of chopper blades above the Tower. Several moments later, two paramedics came racing down the stairs, carrying a gurney between them. Beast Boy had made some hasty signs that pointed which way to go. Cyborg stepped aside and let the medics go to work.

Carefully moving Robin from the bed, they strapped him down and placed an oxygen mask over his mouth. Hooking him up to a small IV, they carried him slowly up the stairs, Cyborg right on their tail.

They approached the helicopter and entered very carefully, not wanting to jostle the gurney. Cyborg squeezed in behind them and settled down on the floor at Robin's side. They chopper left the roof of Titans Tower and flew to the hospital.

Beast Boy and Starfire were waiting in the lobby when the paramedics, followed by Cyborg, wheeled Robin in. They joined the procession and made their way down the long hallways to the Critical Condition wing.

Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy were told that they had to wait outside of the room while the doctors went to work. Starfire had her head in her hands and was mumbling something that was unintelligible. Beast Boy found an outdated moped magazine and was eagerly looking through it. Cyborg paced in front of them, mixed emotions causing confusion in his mind.

The most dominant emotion was fear. He was terrified at what might happen. What if the doctors couldn't save Robin? What if he had made it worse by shocking Robin? What if Robin entered a vegetable state? What if he was paralyzed?

Cyborg was depressed. He felt as if the world would never be the same after this. Robin might be fragile if he ever woke up. He might be too scared to fight crime again.

Cyborg was angry. Furious. This was all Raven's doing! She was the one who betrayed them by possessing Starfire. She was the one who got involved with a thief. She would be the guilty one if Robin died.

Other than Robin healing, there was nothing Cyborg wanted more than to track Raven down and make her suffer for everything she had done. He had a burning desire for revenge.

**The demons are coming after you**

**In the night ready to fight**

**Always cruel with hate in their minds**

**Promising you that they will get you**

The moment Robin was well enough to get up, Cyborg was going after Raven, regardless of what the other Titans thought.

**You're trying to hide with fear in your eyes**

**Hoping that nobody sees you**

_I will find you, Raven, no matter what the cost. If you die in the process, I will feel no regret._

**If they should know where you are I'm sure that they will torture you**

_I will make her pay. She will wish she had never met the Titans._

**I hope that you are prepared**

**Take all the weapons you can**

**If you are not ready to fight**

**I think that you had better run**

Starfire would help. Starfire had a grudge against Raven, just as Cyborg did. The two of them could bring an end to her reign of terror.

**When you're walking in the night**

**You should always be prepared**

**They can strike, right here, right now**

**And bring you down to Hell**

**To Hell**

Cyborg pounded a fist into his other hand, releasing anger in the process. What had Robin ever done to deserve this? What had any of them done to deserve Raven?

**You're running away with no place to stay**

**The demons can almost reach you**

**You hear that someone is shouting your name**

**You think for yourself what you should do**

**You're trying to hide with fear in your eyes**

_Run and hide, Raven. Run and hide. If you value your life, run and hide._

_Hoping that nobody sees you_

**If they should know where you are**

**I'm sure that they will torture you**

_Torture is such a mild word compared to what I plan to do._

**I hope that you are prepared**

**They can strike right here, right now**

**And bring you down to Hell**

_Where you belong._

**To Hell**

Beast Boy had given up on trying to read the magazine. He couldn't focus, not while his leader was undergoing some weird surgery or something.

Cyborg had left. He couldn't stand the pressure, the tenseness of the situation. He hoped a walk around the hospital might calm his overwrought nerves.

Starfire was worried for her friend. What if he did not survive? What if Raven had killed him?

Starfire bit her tongue at the thought of Raven. The name of that witch did not deserve to be on her tongue. Her beautiful Robin was injured because of Raven.

**When you're walking in the night**

**You should always be prepared**

**They can strike right here, right now**

**And bring you down to Hell**

**I hope that you are prepared**

**Take all the weapons that you can**

**If you are not ready for a fight**

**I think you'd better run**

The doctors emerged from the room, just as Cyborg returned from his walk, which had done him no good. All three Titans jumped up, eager to hear what the doctors had to say.

The head doctor had a stethoscope hanging from around his neck. His nametag read Dr. Davids. He gestured to the Titans to enter the room. Cautiously, the Titans filed into the small room one by one.

Robin was hooked up to at least five different machines. Cyborg didn't recognize any of them, other than oxygen and the IV. He was wearing a green hospital gown, the top of which was barely visible under the covers drawn up to his neck. His mask remained in place.

Cyborg swallowed. "What's the diagnosis?" he asked nervously.

Dr. Davids looked at the unconscious teen lying in the bed. "He has minor brain damage, due to lack of oxygen to the brain. It should have been much greater, considering what you told me. He has a hairline fracture in his left wrist, most likely from when he landed after being thrown twenty feet. He hasn't woken up yet, but that should happen soon."

**When you're walking in the night**

**You should always be prepared**

The doctors left the teens alone in the room with their friend. Starfire immediately clasped his right hand and sat on the floor near the bed.

**They can strike, right here, right now**

**And bring you down to Hell**

Beast Boy stared blankly at the walls, as if expecting something to jump through them. Cyborg got a drink of water from the bathroom to moisten his parched throat.

"Friends, friends! Come quickly!" Starfire called, excitement rising in her voice. "Robin is moving!"

This time it was not a seizure. Robin's right hand twitched slightly, and he moved his left arm completely off the bed. Under Robin's mask, Cyborg could see movement that indicated Robin was opening his eyes. The Titans held their breath.

Robin coughed deeply and sat up. He blinked blearily and looked around. "Where am I?" he asked, his voice barely audible. Starfire was only too happy to answer.

"You are in a room of the hospital, on the third floor from the top," Starfire practically sang. She gripped his hand tight, then gasped when he withdrew it.

"And who are you?"

**To Hell**

_Finally, it is finished. This chapter is the longest one so far, so…yeah. Sorry it took so long to update. How many of you guessed it would be Bruce Wayne who picked Raven up? It was pretty obvious, but oh well.I still need to update for Lost, but I wanted to do this one first. There isn't much of a cliffhanger, so no reason to panic. Once again, please review, and let me know what episodes are showing in your area! Thank you for being so patient. -Mystyre_


	7. In Similar Situations

_A new chapter! Sorry it took so long to update. Luckily I didn't have a major cliffie for you guys this time. I've been so busy lately. I have about two hours every day to eat supper, do homework, etc., and it's been pretty tough trying to find time to enjoy life. I barely have time to watch Teen Titans episodes anymore. I've found some perfect songs for later chapters. Also, I have officially impulsively decided that I will finish Inner Workings differently than the way I originally planned it. I'm sure a lot of you will have figured where the story is going from here, but I'm not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, so it took me a little longer. I'm going to be jumping around a lot in this chapter and some of it I'm totally making up, so try to follow along. I apologize for any medical mistakes I make. Anyhoo, (I say that a lot, don't I?) ignore the rambling idiot and read!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, or Batman a.k.a. Bruce Wayne, or anything affiliated with them.  
**(Though I have had some enjoyable conversations with Robin)

_100 reviews! I'm so happy!_

_hey: Thanks. I have continued!_

_Blood of the Wolf: I figured it would be fun adding in some weird twists. Honestly, this story is writing itself. It's taken on stuff I never thought I would see in it. I, uh, I haven't figured that out yet, lol. You will have to wait and see. And I'm going to try to update faster._

_alena-chan: Aww, thanks! It is working together, in ways I never thought it would. It's going in a totally different direction than initally planned, but I like it better this way. Thanks(!), but it's not quite perfect. Now if you want to read perfect, read Broken, by Insanity 101. Thanks again! It is hard, but it's so much fun. I'm sorry it took so long to update, but here it is!_

_craziwierdo: Thank you. Hope you enjoy._

_Zicora: Yeah, I had to bring Batman in. Itwill help tie the whole story together and help set up for the sequal. Oops, did I say sequal? LOL. Thanks, and enjoy._

_Mystery-Bliss: Thank you so incredibly much! It feels good to know that you're being appreciated. (Even though my updates are slow.) Yes, Starfire is being the jerk of the story. I agree completely! Don't worry, this is based on a cartoon show, and on TV, the good guy always wins! LOL. Stranded is hilarious. Robin's expressions, I mean. Where did you download it from? Hope you enjoy this chapter._

_Elizabeth Quagmire: Thanks! Unfortunately, 'convenient' rarely occurs in my life. Enjoy!_

_Lady of Faerie: I was thinking about him forgetting he was Robin, but I figured that it would work better with the story if he just forgets his time with the Titans. As hopefully expressed in this chapter, the last thing he remembers was being Batman's sidekick. I think he's Grayson. There are so many clues in the show. It's gotta be him. LOL that would be fun. Don't ask me, I'm just as lost as you are. Hope you enjoy!_

_Raven Ariana: Thanks! You've guessed part of the plot. She'll help trigger his memory. Thank you very much! You guessed correctly. Yeah, parents have a strange way of prioritizing. I know exactly what that's like. Thanks, hope you enjoy!_

_Lost1n7heDark: Thank you! Your story is awesome as well. Unfortunately, because I'm so busy, I don't always see the updates right away, but I'll read it when I have time. It's on my favorites list, by the way._

_Jordanals: I figured most people would guess who it was. You never know with Cyborg, and Starfire is sure to help. Raven will find a way, though. By now you've seen those episodes. I like them both. I know I shouldn't like Stranded because its RobxStar, but I find it hilarious. Thanks for reading and I hope you like this one too!_

_Desiree L. Wallen: I agree. That song is really cool and it fit well with the situation. The other song is called Bring You Down To Hell, by Zonata._

_nick: Thank you. I thought about that, but I want to keep her as the main villain in this story, even though its really OOC. And I upped the rating, just for you! LOL._

_raven fan: Thanks. You're my first real flame! Raven wouldn't do a lot of the stuff, I agree, but she lost her temper and has been under a lot of emotional turmoil. I needed him to get hurt somehow, but this story is still RaexRob. Because Raven is one of my favorite characters, I wanted to have the plot centering around her and Robin. In the end, there will be a girl in the Titans. The question remains, which one? I'm sorry that it offended you and you have the right to express your opinion. They're dating? Really? Awesome!_

_Raven-FieryBlack: Thanks! I hoped my idea was original, but since it wasn't really, I had to make the plot original. I've finally updated! Sorry for the long wait. You should go read some stuff by Insanity 101. She's an incredible writer!_

_roxy0628: Thanks! Hope you like this new chapter._

_i love it: Your name says it all, LOL. Thanks, here is an update! (finally)_

_Angel Caida: Indeed it does. Yes, they are one and the same. Something like that will happen, so look for it in future chapters. Thanks and enjoy!_

_Dusty: Ah, but it all serves with the plot. See, the last thing he remembers is being Batman's apprentice, so he'll try to go back to Gotham, where Raven is! Cyborg is just a little overprotective of his friends, and maybe a little insane. Gotta have Batman! No, she didn't. She figured it would be a bad idea. I'm sure if I team up with Batman we can track you down. Suffers? That's a mild word for some of the stuff you put him through. Ugg, gotta hate stupid teachers. Hi Robin! I finally updated! And it is one of my many aliases (?). I'd love to hang out, but how about destroying Paul Martin first, hmm? I know exactly what you mean. Sorry Dusty, I think you qualify as over the top. Blame it all on Robin, huh? LOL. How's Raven? Hope you and whoever you've recently aquired enjoy, Dusty!_

**_I apologize to whomever I might have missed. Just let me know, and I will grovel at your feet for eternity. Please enjoy._**

Raven had never been to Gotham City before. It was big, a heck of a lot bigger than Jump City. It was also darker and seemed more sinister. It wasn't the ideal place for a vacation. Raven sure wouldn't want to be walking alone, without her powers nevertheless, on those dingy streets.

There wasn't much traffic on the road this time of night, or should she say this early in the morning. Bruce's car glided through the darkness, taking many turns and often completely reversing direction due to the dysfunctional layout of the roads. Raven had no idea where they were, and she had no idea how to get back to the outskirts of Gotham City, though she didn't think she would need to.

Raven's mind drifted back to her fight with the Titans, especially her escapade with Robin. Raven could see his face pale as he gasped for air. She saw him plunge downward in a surely fatal freefall. If the jerk Starfire hadn't been there, Raven probably would have let him die. Finally Starfire did something right. Raven could see his nearly dead body stretched out on the ground as she sent healing power into him, desperate to change what she had done. Raven still wouldn't accept that she was almost a murderer. A mass murderer. She tried to blame it on her father, but that wouldn't work any longer. Her father had no power over her any more. Raven could control her own destiny. Though at times she felt she was a cruel, heartless little demon who wanted to bring misery to others. Raven couldn't explain her evil desires that she felt she could not control. Raven hadn't told Bruce about almost killing the Titans, Robin especially, for some reason she couldn't explain. She didn't want to be labeled just yet.

TT

Robin looked cluelessly around the strange room. How did he get here? Where was here? Who were these people sitting all around him? Why did his entire body ache so much?

Completely bewildered, Robin looked around at the anxious faces staring back at him. The redhead girl had completely green eyes, and her hair looked like she had messed up badly trying to dye it. There was a short boy who was entirely green, and a tall man who was almost entirely covered in metal. Who were they? Why were they here?

"Uh- who are you?" Robin asked in a voice he had never heard himself use.

"Robin, it is us! Your friends! Do you not remember?" The redhead babbled, desperation in her eyes. Robin shook his head slowly.

"I've never seen you before in my life," Robin replied in that same voice. The trio in front of him looked shocked.

"Come on, man! We're your friends! We've been living together for over two years!" the metal man exclaimed.

"That's not true! I've never seen you before!" Robin was still confused, but he was getting angry. Who were these people, claiming to know him?

"Dude! You gotta remember! Think hard, Robin." The little green man who looked like some kind of elf pleaded. What kind of people were these, this bunch of abnormal freaks?

"Who are you?" Robin demanded, propping himself up against his pillows. Time for answers.

"Why Robin! It is I! Starfire! And friends Beast Boy and Cyborg!" the girl called Starfire exclaimed. Beast Boy and Cyborg nodded vigorously.

Robin turned to the green elf. "So Cyborg-" he started. The elf blinked in shock.

"Dude, I'm Beast Boy! What's wrong with you?" he interrupted.

Continuing on as if he had not been interrupted, Robin asked, "What are you?" Beast Boy blinked again.

"I'm a changeling, duh. Cyborg is part robot, and Starfire is an alien. We make up the Teen Titans, remember?"

Startled, Robin stared at Starfire. "You're an alien? As in not from Earth? Is that possible?" Cyborg slapped one hand against his forehead. "No duh it's possible! She's standing right in front of you, genius!" Instantly Cyborg regretted his harsh words as an unfamiliar expression crossed Robin's face. Robin threw back the covers on the bed, unplugged himself from all of the machines that started beeping insanely and managed to stand up. He teetered a bit, but remained upright. A sudden jolt of pain shot up from his left wrist. Robin looked down to see that it was in a cast. He cradled it with his other arm.

"I don't know who you think you are, claiming you know me when I've never seen you before. Quit making all these assumptions about me. Stop acting like I'm some clueless freak who knows nothing. Are you sure you've got the right person? I think you've got me mixed up with someone else." Robin glared at the people standing in front of him, who seemed greatly subdued.

"Robin, we've been with you the whole time that you were here. Ever since the battle, we haven't left your side. We're quite sure that we've got the right person," Cyborg said quietly. His eyes were downcast.

"And I'm very sure that you don't. For the last time, I don't know any of you."

TT

Wayne Manor was, in a word, incredible. Raven didn't think that she had seen anything like it. It was HUGE. How one person could live here alone was beyond her. Obviously he wasn't kidding when he said that he had enough room.

Bruce parked the car in front of the mansion and got out. He came around the other side of the car and opened the door for Raven. He offered her a hand and she accepted. Getting out of the car proved difficult. Raven had to put her entire body weight on Bruce. When she was out of the car, her legs shook and she almost crumpled to the ground. Bruce scooped her up and carried her to the door. He pressed the doorbell and an elderly gentlemen opened the door.

"Oh my," he murmured when he saw what Bruce was carrying. He opened the door as wide as possible and stood aside as Bruce and Raven entered. Bruce turned to the other man as he was shutting the door.

"Alfred, could you please get the necessary medical supplies to remove a bullet? I'm going to bring Raven up to my room for now. Could you meet us there?" With a nod, Alfred scuttled off in the opposite direction Raven and Bruce took, which was up the stairs.

They passed many doors until they came to a set of etched-glass double doors at the end of the hall. Bruce transferred Raven's weight to one arm as he opened the doors, revealing a grand set-up. A king-sized canopy bed was in the center of the room. A dresser made of a dark, gleaming wood stood in the corner near another set of doors, which Raven assumed was the closet. On the other wall, another set of doors led to what Raven was sure was a deluxe bathroom.

Bruce eased Raven onto the bed. Raven carefully undid her cloak so that it would be easier to remove the bullet. Alfred came in a moment later, carrying a big bag full of medical supplies. Raven wondered where Bruce got all of them and why he had them.

Bruce dumped the contents of the bag out beside Raven on the bed. He pulled on some gloves and placed a doctor's mask over his mouth. Alfred did the same. Raven realized that they were going to be the ones operating on her.

"Uh– Bruce? Do you know what you're doing?" Raven asked, panicking. Bruce nodded.

"I went to doctor school for a while, but never took it up as a profession. I'm totally certified, though. Alfred is also very capable of helping me."

"Why don't we just go to a hospital? It would be easier, wouldn't it?"

"Something tells me that's not a good idea," Bruce replied, digging through his equipment for something. "I don't know why, but for some reason I don't think it would be wise to bring you into the public eye at this point in time." Realizing his position, Raven fully agreed with him.

"I don't have an oxygen mask or an IV, but I highly doubt you'll need either of them."

"As long as you're sure, Bruce. I trust you." And she did.

TT

The Titans looked at each other helplessly. Cyborg figured that Robin must have amnesia. Was there a cure for amnesia? He didn't know.

"Umm, Robin? I'm, uh, I'll be right back." Cyborg said. He had to find the doctor. Robin glowered at Cyborg as Cyborg quickly left the room. Dr. Davids wasn't outside the room. Cyborg scanned the hallways for him, then spotted him exiting another room. He sprinted down the hall to where the doctor was. Dr. Davids looked a little surprised to see him.

"Hello, Cyborg. Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked pleasantly.

"I sure hope so. See, Robin just woke up, like, 10 minutes ago, but he didn't recognize any of us. We think he has amnesia or something. He got really mad when we tried to remind him who we are. He got up out of bed and unplugged all the machines he was hooked up to and-" Dr. Davids' eyes widened.

"He what?" Dr. Davids interrupted. He set off down the hall towards Robin's room at a brisk pace. Cyborg fought to catch up.

Dr. Davids flung the door to Robin's room open to see Robin struggling with Beast Boy and Starfire, obviously exerting himself and tiring quickly.

"What are you doing?" Dr. Davids bellowed. "He needs bed rest and medicine, not sparring practice. Let him go this instant!"

"It's not our fault," Beast Boy gasped, still holding tightly to Robin's arm. "He tried to escape. We had to keep him here."

"Let him go," Dr. Davids commanded. Starfire and Beast Boy released Robin. Robin collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily. Dr. Davids approached him slowly.

"Robin," he called softly. "It's Dr. Davids. I need you to get back into bed, all right? Can you do that for me?" Robin looked at Dr. Davids warily.

"Why am I here?" he growled, voice menacingly low.

Dr. Davids sighed. "You were fighting Ra-" Dr. Davids stopped at Cyborg's gesture. "You were fighting with someone and they almost killed you. You nearly suffocated and were unconscious for hours. You've got minor brain damage, a fractured wrist, and a very exhausted body right now. You need rest. Can you please get in bed?"

Robin didn't seem to be soaking all the information in. "I've got brain damage? No way! I don't feel any different."

"Believe me, you are," Cyborg muttered under his breath.

"You won't be able to tell the difference from before and now," Dr. Davids replied. "Now, I'm telling you to get into that bed."

Robin seemed to be thinking that over. "Where am I?" he asked suddenly.

"In the hospital, of course. Now-"

"Where is the hospital located?" Robin demanded, not caring about manners at this point in time.

"Jump City. Where you live. Now get int-"

"WHAT? I don't live here! I live in Gotham City. Why am I here? Who brought me here? I need to phone somebody!" Robin struggled up off of the floor, wavering slightly. He began to walk towards the door, stumbling every couple steps. Starfire reached out to steady him, but he refused to let her touch him.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a phone." Robin tried to push past Dr. Davids, but Davids wouldn't move.

"Robin, listen to me. You're sick and you need to be in bed. I'll give you one more chance to get into bed on your own, or I'm going to put you there myself." Dr. Davids' voice was grim with determination.

Robin glared back at him as he attempted to maneuver around Dr. Davids. Davids, a tall man of muscular build, filled the entire doorway. Robin couldn't get past him, no matter how hard he tried. And try he did. Robin was sweating and breathing hard by now. He couldn't squeeze past Davids and couldn't move him out of the way. Robin was trapped.

"This is the last time I'm going to say it, Robin. GET INTO THAT BED." Davids pronounced every word slowly, as if speaking to a child.

Robin crossed his arms stubbornly and looked up at Davids. "No. I don't belong here."

Davids was at the end of his rope. He moved from the doorway, shut the door and locked it. He withdrew his master key and slipped it inside a pocket. Robin backed away from him, arms still crossed in defiance. The Titans moved as far away as possible as well. They didn't want to tangle with this guy.

Robin's eyes darted around the room, then fell on the window. He turned and moved as fast as he could towards his only route out of this nuthouse. Sliding the window up, Robin punched through the screen with his good arm and put one leg out the window before Davids could reach him.

"Back away, Davids, or I jump." Robin's face was dead serious. Had his eyes been visible under the mask, a wild look would have startled whoever looked into them.

_This kid's insane, _Davids thought. He put his hands up in surrender and turned around, looking like he was going to walk away. In one swift motion, he spun around and stretched his hand out, grabbing Robin's left arm just above the cast. With a firm grip on him, Davids grabbed him around the waist with his free hand and hauled him away from the window. Robin started squirming and letting loose curses the Titans had never thought they would hear from him. To no avail. Robin was helpless; overpowered by Davids. With Robin still tucked under one arm, Davids opened up a cabinet with his master key and withdrew a needle and a small vial of some sort. He had some trouble, but the liquid in the vial ended up in the needle, which ended up in Robin's arm. Robin screamed as he felt the needle enter the vein and struggled even more. But the medicine worked fast. Within about thirty seconds, Robin had lost consciousness and was hanging limply under Davids' arm. Davids sighed with relief and approached the bed. He gently placed Robin in it, hooked the machines up again, and covered him with blankets. He turned to the Titans, who were staring at him.

"All in a day's work, folks," he chuckled. The Titans laughed nervously. "Have a seat." Davids gestured to a row of chairs along the wall.

"Obviously Robin does have amnesia. He doesn't remember the Titans, the fight, or even being in Jump City. He's also, ah–, mentally unstable at this point in time. It'll pass though, so don't worry."

"So what do we do about the amnesia? Is there a cure?" Cyborg was desperate.

Davids shook his head slowly. "Not a medical cure, at least. Sometimes something will trigger a memory, and the amnesia will just disappear. We'll give Robin a couple days to see if he improves."

"What if he does not improve? What will become of him then?" Starfire inquired.

Davids kneaded his forehead with his hand, wishing he wasn't the one to tell them this. "If he can't remember you, he won't feel safe with you. You'll have to let him go. He said he lived in Gotham City. That would be the best place to bring him in that situation."

All four looked at Robin. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Cyborg whispered.

TT

Raven tried to prepare herself for what lay ahead. She was scared that something would go wrong, that she would die a painful death. But she trusted Bruce. She had no choice if she wanted to live.

Bruce explained what was going on as he did it. "First," he began. "I'm going to stabilize your nose. I can tell that you moved it back into the proper position, but we have to support it if we want it to stay there. I'm going to put a type of splint on it, then reinforce it with sports tape, OK?" Raven nodded. That didn't sound bad.

But it hurt. Raven tried not to cry out as Bruce fitted something over her nose, then taped it down. He had to crack it into a different position, which was very painful. It didn't take very long though, and soon it was set.

"Now comes the fun part. We've got to get that bullet out. I'm going to have to put you under for this. I don't think you'd want to be watching anyway, but any sudden movements could be fatal. Put this on." Bruce handed her a disposable gas mask, which only covered her mouth. "Put it on." Raven did. "You're going to be asleep for about four hours so don't be surprised if-" Raven could hardly hear him anymore. Bruce's voice got slower and deeper until it faded away completely.

Feeling a little inappropriate, Bruce tore Raven's leotard slightly around the bullet hole, giving him more room to work. He would just buy her another one later. Along with a new cloak. And maybe some actual clothes to wear, instead of this bizarre outfit. Then again, his own son looked like a Christmas tree in his spandex. Bruce shook his head. Teenagers today.

Bruce put a very powerful freezing medicine into a needle, which he injected all around the bullet wound. Pausing for about five minutes so that it could take full effect, Bruce removed a razor from the pile of tools. Raven had stuffed a piece of her cloak into the hole in an attempt to stop the bleeding. It had worked, but getting it out now would be difficult. Bruce asked Alfred for a glass of water, which he was immediately handed. He carefully poured most of it onto the cloth, dampening it. Closing his eyes, he carefully eased the cloth out of the hole. A sudden flow of blood poured out all over her body, onto the towel he had recently placed underneath her. Bruce mopped up some of the blood with a clean cloth, then sucked some more up with something he had found in the kitchen. Carefully, Bruce made an X over the bullet hole with the razor. He paused again to stop more blood. He had no idea how much blood Raven had lost already, but losing much more couldn't be good for her.

Now it was the tricky part. With a pair of pliers, Bruce reached inside the hole he had just expanded on and searched for the bullet. He felt the pliers push against something, and he had to maneuver them to get a grip on it, but he succeeded in pulling the slug out from Raven's abdomen. Placing it on a nearby tray, he let Alfred take care of disposing it. Now to sew her up. Needle and thread in hand, Bruce carefully closed the wound and wrapped adhesive bandage around it. He turned around to find that Alfred had already cleaned up the mess. Bruce nodded a thanks, and Alfred departed the room.

Bruce turned back to his patient. She was still sprawled out on the bed, right hand twitching slightly. Poor girl. He hoped he would be able to help her. Slowly and gently, he picked her up and threw the towel on the floor. He drew back the covers of the bed and laid her down. Tucking her in, he kissed her on the forehead and squeezed her hand. Retreating to the hallway, he turned off the light and smiled.

"Goodnight Raven."

_Man, I am so sorry it took so long for this chapter. It's been a month. And I still haven't updated Lost. But it will be updated within a week. I promise. Just to clarify, Bruce is feeling very fatherly towards Raven, so don't think otherwise. I'm hoping to post the starts of some new stories soon, so be on the lookout. Please review! Flames are always welcome. –Mystyre_

_P.S. The End is totally amazing! It rocks! I don't want to spoil anything, but… -looks around suspiciously- Slade's mask comes off! And you see his face! But it's not what you think… Trust me, all Titans fans will love the season finale._


	8. Normal

_My updates are getting slower, and I don't have a good reason why. So I guess I'll just apologize and hope you guys will still read this. Now, for your enjoyment, I present the next chapter in the Inner Workings saga!_

**Disclaimer: **I- I can't bring myself to say it! –sob–

Raven groaned as she regained consciousness. Her abdomen hurt tremendously, and she was in a strange room. Wincing, she propped herself up on the array of pillows and looked around, quickly recognizing Bruce Wayne's room. Judging by the light streaming in through the windows, she had been asleep for more than four hours. She guessed it was about three in the afternoon.

Had it really been just over a day since she was kicked off the team? So much had happened. Within the span of twenty-four hours, her world had fallen apart, she had killed someone and was almost killed, she had met Bruce Wayne and she was in his house, where he had just saved her life. Wow.

A knock at the door brought Raven back to reality. Alfred's head poked through the crack, his eyes softening at the sight of the girl.

"Ah, Master Bruce has instructed that you need to eat. What would you like?" he asked in his crisp accent.

Raven felt herself smile slightly. Butlers were so cool. "Some soup, and herbal tea if you have it," she replied, sitting almost upright.

Alfred returned in several minutes with a tray. On it was a glass of water, chicken noodle soup, Earl Gray, and a little white pill. Raven sighed in relief as she recognized it as painkiller.

"What would you like first?" he asked, pulling up a chair beside the bed.

"The painkiller," Raven said immediately. Alfred chuckled and handed it to her, along with the water. Raven swallowed it and handed the glass back to Alfred. "Thanks," she murmured, slightly self-conscious.

"The soup next?" Raven nodded. She didn't really want anything to eat, but she knew food would help her recover. At least she could stay away from solids for a while.

Raven ate the soup in silence as Alfred watched. It took some time, but the soup was finally gone. She accepted the herbal tea from Alfred and relaxed as she drank the familiar beverage.

The silence was becoming uncomfortable. Usually Raven embraced peaceful quiet, but today it made her jittery.

"I take it Bruce is at work?" she asked. Alfred nodded.

"He shall be back within the hour," Alfred said, his accent soft and clipped. "Master Bruce wished to take the afternoon off to see how you were doing. He merely went to the office for a brief meeting."

Alfred took the empty mug from Raven and placed it on the tray. He brushed himself off quickly and picked the tray up.

"I shall be downstairs if you need anything. The button on the wall beside the bed will summon me," Alfred stated as he left the room. Raven sighed as the door shut.

"Butlers may be cool," she murmured. "But they need a personality."

She stretched herself out on the bed, head once again on the pillows. Canopy beds were truly the height of luxury. She let herself just enjoy the comfort for several minutes, but then knew she had to try to tap into her powers.

Ignoring the pain, Raven sat cross-legged on the bed. Her head was spinning, but she managed to stay upright. Closing her eyes, Raven began her mantra. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she murmured. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos." Ten minutes passed, and Raven felt nothing. There was no power surge; heck, not even an inkling of feeling that she even had powers. Raven resumed her mantra for another ten minutes. She felt her leg twitch. Filled with hope, her voice got louder and more commanding. The pain from her stomach was going away, and her nose seemed to be completely healed. Raven removed the brace and fingered where the crack had been. There were no signs of anything ever damaging it. Cracking one eye open, she saw her abdomen bathed in a blueish aura of light. Closing her eye again, she focused intently, trying to gather all her power and control it. Suddenly her eyes flew open and she levitated off the ground. Raven grinned. It was working!

Raven spied a book lying on the dresser across the room. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she cried, willing the book to her. At first nothing happened. But slowly the book was enveloped by a black aura and levitated. Raven focused all her energy on the book; and it came to her, dropping softly in her lap.

It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her. Raven had her powers again! Sure, they took a lot more out of her, but when she was completely healed, everything would be back to normal.

Raven levitated off the bed and stood up. There were no signs of dizziness this time. She opened the door and stepped directly into Bruce Wayne.

TT

In a way, Bruce was shocked to see Raven out of bed. Any normal patient would have been laid up for several days at the least. But seeing her up and about meant that not only had she regained control of her powers, but she had found the will to keep fighting.

Bruce smiled as Raven blushed. She opened her mouth to say something, but Bruce shushed her.

"You haven't seen the manor yet, have you?" he asked. Raven shook her head. "Then let's get started." He spent the next hour showing her around and answering her questions. The guest room down the hall would become hers for as long as she chose to stay with him. Alfred moved her backpack to the room (surprisingly she still had it, as well as the bo staff A.N. don't ask how), which was fortunately painted a deep blue. He eventually came to a room with a red door. Raven looked at him questioningly. Bruce smiled affectionately at the door as memories flooded his mind. He stood as if in a trance until Raven's emotionless voice brought him back to the present.

"What's in here?" she asked. She didn't make a move to enter the room, yet bore a hole in the door with her gaze. What lay beyond the red door?

"That", Bruce began, clearing his throat. "That is my son's room. I would prefer you not to go in there." Raven blinked.

"Your son? What's his name?" she inquired.

"Richard. Richard Grayson. He is away at the moment." Bruce's face held an odd expression. He looked like he wanted to cry, laugh and hug someone all at the same time. Raven smiled gently at him. Bruce quickly regained his composure.

"Now that you've seen everything, I've got a surprise for you." Curious, Raven trotted after him in the direction of the master bedroom. "I had Alfred bring everything up."

Bruce pushed back the doors to reveal the bed, almost completely covered by shopping bags.

"I ah, I took the liberty of replacing your cloak and leotard. I also purchased some regular clothes for you, in case you needed some."

"Wow. Thanks." Raven truly appreciated everything Bruce was doing for her. At this point in time, he was the only one she could trust.

Raven began to look through the clothes Bruce had bought her. Much as she tried to hide it, she, like every other girl, loved clothes. She hadn't work anything but her uniform for so long that she forgot what she looked like in normal clothes.

"I hope they fit," Bruce added. "I had to guess your sizes." Raven could picture Bruce going into a store like Hot Topic and buying clothes for her. No doubt some busybody clerk would be talking to the paper soon. Who knew what kind of story they would run? This could ruin Bruce's reputation. But he had known the risks, and it didn't bother him, so Raven didn't let it bother her.

The first two bags held new cloaks and leotards in dark colors, such as black, gray, blue, purple and a crimson red. Raven smiled.

Bruce had bought her several turtlenecks, three or four pairs of jeans, gray sweat pants, purple cargo pants, about ten t-shirts (some of which had humorous sayings on them), a red hoodie, black trench coat, purple Converse sneakers, a purple sweatshirt and five tank tops. There was also a pair of leather motorcycle boots in the last bag. Wordlessly, Raven looked at Bruce, who seemed both anxious and uncomfortable.

"These are great. Thank you," Raven managed. She was overwhelmed by his generosity.

Bruce took out his wallet and handed her a wad of twenties. "This is so you can get some, ah, undergarments, as well as shop around a bit yourself." With that, Bruce left Raven to her treasure trove.

Raven levitated the bags into her new room. The white canopy bed contrasted to the blue of the walls. Soft shag carpet lined the floor, and the closet was big enough for all her new clothes. Raven first unpacked her shoulder bag that had miraculously survived (probably thanks to Bruce's digging around in Kenny's car) and began to hang up her clothes. She took off her muddied and torn clothes, discarding the bandages. Leaving her clothes in a hamper, and her boots by the door, she pulled on some faded jeans, a loose-fitting black t-shirt that said 'I ain't no damsel in distress' and the purple Converse shoes. Examining herself in the mirror, she attempted a smile. This might work out all right.

TT

Raven took the bus from the manor downtown to the mall. After a quick stop for 'undergarments', she bought a smoothie and just wandered around. She had never known life like this before. An ordinary life, where a teen girl's biggest problem is what to wear to the prom. A life without the pressure of being a hero. Here Raven could blend in; just another Goth with an attitude. Normal. What a weird feeling.

Raven spent the money Bruce had given her at various stores around the mall. She bought some clothes, but mostly items to make the room more homey, such as a CD player, CD's, posters, books and throw pillows. She had even bought a different light fixture. The last of her money had gone to shampoo, toothbrushes, etc. Purchases in hand, she stood at the bus stop with the other civilians. Seven minutes later, she was being crushed into the back of the bus.

I could just levitate back to the manor, she thought. Or at least create a force field so I can breathe. But Raven knew it was just wishful thinking. She was going to be normal now; no more using powers.

Twenty gut-wrenching minutes later, Raven was walking up the driveway to Wayne Manor. By now it was getting dark, and she hoped Alfred had some supper available. A sudden flicker of light caught her eye, and she looked up into the clouds. A circle with a bat emblem was being projected against the dark canopy the clouds created. Raven recognized that sign. Batman. She had forgotten the Dark Knight of Gotham. Perhaps someday she would meet him. In the meantime, she told herself, she would get something to eat.

Raven knocked on the door for Alfred, seeing as she did not have a key. After two minutes passed without him answering, she phased through the door on her own. She brought her purchases up to her room and unpacked them, then went in search of supper.

No one was in the kitchen, but there was a note taped to the stove.

_Raven,_

_Alfred is out running errands and I had some business to attend to. Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge or feel free to order in a pizza. Just charge it to me._

_Bruce._

So Raven was alone. This had possibilities. First she made herself a sandwich and drank some milk. Putting her dishes in the dishwasher, Raven crept towards the room with the red door. She needed to see what was inside there. She couldn't help it. And she wouldn't touch anything. Just look. No one would know.

Feeling guilty, Raven glanced around to see if anyone was watching. Sure that the coast was clear, Raven phased through the door.

_Well, this was a shorter chapter, and its only focus was Raven. Robin will be in the next one though. Sorry this took so long. Like I said, I have no excuse. I just am not motivated. Hopefully I'll update my other stories soon though. It seems that Raven is adjusting to life as a normal person. We'll just have to see where this goes. And I regret not being able to respond to reviews, due to some stupid rule I heard about. When I hear that everything's cool, then I will resume responding. But you still have to review! -Mystyre_


	9. The Red Door

_Heh, sorry for the long wait. When you've got swim practice 7 times a week, have to hit the gym 3 times a week and do Pilates 3 times a week, PLUS homework and several tests, you don't have a lot of time to write. But it is Sunday and I have found some time! So here is the next chapter. Enjoy! And don't worry Robin; I took pity on you and gave you a clean room._

**Disclaimer: **Don't own anything

Feeling guilty, Raven glanced around to see if anyone was watching. Sure that the coast was clear, Raven phased through the door.

Raven didn't know what she had been expecting, but this wasn't it. The room was big, of course, but it reminded her of something she couldn't quite place. The walls were a stark white, covered with posters of bands long out of style. How long had it been since Richard was home? The carpet was freshly vacuumed, any surfaces recently dusted. The bedspread was black, throw pillows in red and green scattered neatly across it.

Raven went over to look at the pictures displayed on the dresser. There was a picture of Bruce, Alfred, some dog, and a boy who looked to be about 9 years old. His smile seemed familiar. There was a picture of Batman cut out from the newspaper, a picture of the boy and the dog, and a picture of a couple. Raven stared intently at the last picture, wondering what its significance was. They seemed happy; like nothing was wrong with the world. Why was this picture in Richard's room? A thought struck Raven. Bruce had said his son's name was Richard Grayson. Richard was adopted. Maybe these people were his parents.

Raven didn't want to think depressing thoughts right now, so she left the picture and opened the closet. It was surprisingly empty; two black t-shirts hung up on hangers, a white one crumpled on the ground. There was a pair of jeans folded on the top shelf. Raven pulled them down and looked at them. They were tiny. Whoever wore these must have been very young and very short. She refolded them and put them back.

Raven sat down on the bed, fist pressed to her chin.

"Who are you, Richard Grayson?" she murmured. Maybe she would look him up someday. Bruce clearly didn't want to talk about him.

A sudden noise caused Raven's head to turn sharply. She heard the front door open and shut. Panicking, Raven straightened the bedspread and phased through the door after making sure the room was just as she had found it. She quickly opened the door to the bathroom and went in, locking it behind her. She waited for her heart to calm down, then flushed the toilet and turned on the sink for good measure. Trying to appear calm, Raven opened the door and walked down the stairs.

"Alfred!" she called pleasantly, acting surprised. "I didn't know you were home." Raven mentally kicked herself. Home? This wasn't her home. Stupid girl.

Alfred smiled at her and took off his jacket.

"I just got in, actually. Would you mind giving me a hand with these?" Alfred motioned to the bags of groceries littered on the floor.

"Sure," Raven replied. She grabbed several and followed him into the kitchen. He began putting stuff away. Raven just watched him, unsure of what to do.

"It's quite late, Raven," Alfred said, catching her eye. "And you must be tired. Perhaps you should be getting to bed?"

Raven's head snapped up.

"Oh! Uh, yeah, I think I will." She gave him a lopsided smile and trotted up the stairs towards her room, breathing a silent sigh of relief.

She had purchased pajamas as well today and quickly changed clothes, putting what she had been wearing away. She didn't want the room to be messy. Raven brushed her teeth in the bathroom and then went to bed. She was more tired than she had realized. Within a minute sleep had claimed her tired mind.

TT

The radio alarm woke Raven at precisely 8:00 AM. She yawned and stretched, then hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She emerged 15 minutes later in a fuzzy housecoat and with a towel wrapped around her head. Changing into black jeans, a red tank top and the motorcycle boots, she brushed her hair and went downstairs for breakfast. Bruce was at the table, paper in hand and coffee steaming next to him. He looked up when she entered the room and gave her a tired smile.

"Good morning Raven," he greeted her. She noted that he was in pajamas and housecoat still, hair sticking up oddly. She suppressed a giggle.

"Good morning Bruce," she replied. He motioned to the seat across from him and she sat down. "What day is it today?" she asked. Bruce looked up from the morning paper.

"Sunday," he replied, then looked down again.

Alfred appeared by Raven's side with a tremendous stack of pancakes and a mug of hot chocolate. She smiled gratefully at him. Smiling. Not something she would generally do. But lately she was finding it nearly impossible not to smile. Everything was wonderful.

Especially the pancakes! They were delicious. Raven didn't think she had ever had anything like them before. Alfred was a brilliant chef.

Having finished breakfast, Bruce lay the paper down and got up to get ready for the day. Sipping her hot chocolate, she turned the paper towards her and read the headlines:

**BATMAN FOILS BANK ROBBERY**

The story went on to tell of Batman's heroic efforts of saving the city and that the police still couldn't catch him. Raven put the paper down in disgust. This guy clearly was a hero, and the dim-watted police force wanted to put him behind bars! Fools.

Downing the rest of her hot chocolate and putting the mug in the dishwasher, Raven went into the den to watch some TV and quickly lost track of reality as The Master of Disguise enthralled her bored mind.

TT

The bitter taste of medicine filled Robin's mouth as he regained consciousness. He was back in bed and the room was empty and silent, save for the beeping of the heart rate monitor. He threw off the covers and unhooked the machines again, heading for the door. He tried the knob, only to find he was locked in. Cursing, he stormed to the window and threw back the curtains, revealing freshly nailed planks of wood where there should have been glass. He was locked in.

Robin entered the bathroom and was disappointed to see there was no window. He caught his reflection in the mirror and groaned. Other than the fact that he was pale, clammy and had a huge cast on his arm, his hair looked terrible. And he was in one of those stupid hospital gowns! He turned around and cursed again. The gown didn't go up all the way in the back. He searched the room until he found a pair of pajama pants; God knows where they came from. Breathing heavily, he reluctantly fell back onto the bed, already exhausted. His eyes traced round the room, and he was relieved to see no surveillance cameras.

He stared at the ceiling through masked eyes, considering his options. He could stay in the room and let these jokers run all sorts of stupid tests on him and tell him he was brain damaged –hah!–, or he could break out of here and get back to Gotham. Option 1 was no option at all; he might as well commit suicide. Option 2 was the only one that made any sense at all. Unfortunately, there were several problems with Option 2. First of all, he was tired, and there was no phone in here. Secondly, he was locked in. And as previously stated, he had no strength to break down a door. Lastly, that whacko Davids was no doubt prepared for him to make an escape attempt. And Davids was a pretty strong man. Usually Robin could take down a guy that size no problem, but now he was getting tired scratching his ear. Plus those circus sideshow freaks were out there, and they didn't want him to leave for whatever reason.

Decisions, decisions. Robin searched the room and the bathroom for something he could use to pick the lock, but came up empty-handed. He tried to pry a board off the window, but didn't have enough strength to raise his arms. Maybe after a power nap. He stumbled to the bed and flopped on top of it, falling asleep face down on the pillow.

TT

The clock said it was noon when Robin woke up again. As far as he could tell nothing had changed in the room. No one had come in to hook him up to the machines again. He had to admit, the nap had helped considerably. He felt ten times stronger. Unfortunately, that only equaled about half of his usual strength. But he was pumped nonetheless. He was busting out of here! The first thing he did was drag a chair up beside the window for when he got tired. Secondly, he took the IV pole and brought it up near the window. He could use it as leverage. A glass of water completed his setup. Feeling determined, Robin pulled up the shades on the window again, revealing three planks of wood nailed crookedly to the wall. He hoped the IV pole was strong enough to get him out of here. Wedging it under the bottom plank, he gritted his teeth and pushed down as hard as he could. The board groaned in protest, but Robin thought that it moved a little. He did it again. And again. After almost twenty minutes of sweaty work, the first board was almost off the wall. He wedged his left arm between the board and the wall, and thanks to the strength of the cast, he got the board off the wall. He grinned in satisfaction. He mentally compared the space there with the size of his body. He wouldn't fit. The second board needed to come off. The IV pole came out again, and thirty minutes later the second board was off. He slid the window up and sighed as fresh air entered the room.

Robin used a nail from one of the planks to rip every bit of cloth in the room. Tying the strips all together, he hoped they would reach the bottom. He was on the third floor after all. He tied one end to the bedpost and threw the other out the window. It reached the ground.

One last thing to do. Robin took some paper and a pencil out of the drawer of the dresser and scribbled a note, which he placed on his bed. It read:

_To the psycho doctor and weird freaks:_

_I don't know how I got here, but I'm leaving. If necessary, I will get medical help in Gotham City. Do not come after me. And don't even think about charging me for this visit._

_Robin_

Satisfied, he took a minute to catch his breath, then eased himself out of the window. He began rappelling down the building as inconspicuously as he could. Several minutes later his bare feet hit the pavement, and he sank to the ground, exhaustion threatening to overtake him. Five minutes later he was on his feet again, heading down the sidewalk in his hospital gown in search of a phone.

He had no idea where to find one. He had never been to this city before. In Gotham there were pay phones everywhere, but Jump City didn't seem to have any. Muttering to himself, he turned a corner and crashed straight into a kid on a skateboard. Both Robin and the kid were knocked to the ground.

"Oh, wow!" the kid cried, eyes widening as he picked himself up. "It's you! It's really you!"

Robin struggled to his feet, wavering slightly.

"Of course it's me," he said sarcastically, dusting himself off. "Who did you think it was, Santa Claus?" A thought struck him. "How do you know me?"

"Oh, everybody knows you, Mr. Robin. You're a hero!" The boy was practically bouncing up and down, his eyes never leaving Robin's face. "You save our city all the time!"

"Kid, I've never been here before in my life. I live in Gotham City." The boy looked at him strangely.

"No you don't, Mr. Robin. You're the leader of the Teen Titans, remember? You live here," the boy insisted.

"Everybody in this town is messed up," Robin muttered. He turned to leave, but the boy caught his arm.

"Can I have your autograph, Mr. Robin?" the kid asked shyly, holding out a Sharpie and his arm. Robin sighed.

"Yeah, sure. Here you go." Robin scribbled his name on the kid's arm, and the kid took off down the street, shouting something Robin couldn't make out. Dumb kid.

He continued his trek down the street. Still no phone in sight. What was wrong with this city? He saw a police officer standing on the corner and approached him.

"Excuse me, officer, but can you tell me where I can find a phone?" Robin questioned. The man turned around, eyes suddenly bulging as he realized who was talking to him.

"Robin! I heard you were in the hospital!" the man cried.

Robin gave him an exasperated look. "I was released, not that it's any of your business. Can you tell me where to find a phone?"

The man pulled out a cell phone. "Here, use this!" The man looked as excited as the kid. Robin shook his head and took a few steps away.

He opened the cell phone and punched in a number, waiting impatiently as it rang. Someone finally picked up.

"Hello?" a deep voice asked. Robin sighed in relief as he recognized Bruce's voice.

"Hi, Bruce."

"Robin?" Bruce clearly was not expecting a phone call from him.

"Yeah. Listen, I'm in Jump City and I have no idea why. Can you come and get me?"

Silence.

"You don't know why you're in Jump City?" Bruce finally said.

"No. I woke up and I was in a hospital, and there was this crazy doctor and these three weird people. One was like a robot, one was a little elf and the other was, um, apparently an alien." Robin replied.

"Why were you in a hospital?" Worry crept into Bruce's voice, and Robin felt a pang of…something. He wasn't sure what.

"I don't know. I just woke up there. Maybe Joker captured me and dumped me there after our last battle."

The voice coming from the phone was not the voice he usually heard. This voice was confused. "Robin, the last time you fought Joker was three years ago."

"C'mon, Bruce. I'm confused enough as it is. Don't go pulling stuff on me now," Robin practically shouted.

"Where are you now?" Bruce asked.

"I don't know. Just a minute." He covered the cell phone with his hand. "Excuse me officer, but what street is this?" he shouted.

"32nd Street," he replied.

"32nd Street," Robin told Bruce.

"Go to the Public Library and wait for me there. I'm taking the next plane out." With a click, the line was dead.

Robin closed the cell phone and gave it back to the officer.

"Can you show me how to get to the library?" he asked.

The officer gave him a strange look. "Follow me," he said.

The library was a couple of streets down and Robin walked into it with the officer. The officer turned to leave.

"Thanks for all your help," Robin called.

"Are you kidding? It's the least I can do. You've saved the entire police force dozens of times." With a wave, the officer was gone.

Robin sat down in a leather chair with a random book.

"Weird place," he said to himself.

TT

Raven heard the phone ring, and she heard Bruce pick it up in the next room. Several minutes of quiet conversation passed, then Bruce hung up. She heard him get his coat and head to the front door. She got up and followed him quickly.

"Where are you going?" she asked curiously. Bruce didn't look at her.

"I'm going to get my son," he replied, and left the mansion.

_Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I quite enjoyed writing it. I'm glad I found time to. Once again, sorry for the long wait, and please review!_

-_Mystyre _


	10. Homecoming

_I went to a swim meet and the bus ride was eleven hours, so I had a lot of time to write. I decided I would rather work on a story than do homework, so I've got an update. I also decided I would rather update Inner Workings, seeing as it's progressing quite nicely. Updates for my other stories will be coming shortly. Enjoy and review!_

Bruce Wayne was a man of courage. He faced psychos on a regular basis, hid from the law and even put up with those stupid parties he was required to attend because of his social status.

Bruce Wayne was a levelheaded man; well, at least Batman was. He knew how to stay cool in dangerous situations. He was able to take control of situations that threatened his life or the lives of others.

But as Bruce Wayne stood in the Gotham airport, ticket clutched tightly in his fist, his heart was racing and his mind was anything but calm.

The phone call from Robin had truly disturbed him. This was the first time he had heard from Robin in several months. He had known nothing about Robin being in a hospital and for some reason the boy had amnesia. His memory of the Titans was completely gone. What had happened? Bruce tapped his foot impatiently, then jumped at the sound of the intercom. His flight would be boarding in five minutes. A small sense of relief washed over him.

"Hang on, Robin," he whispered. "I'm coming."

TT

Dr. Davids got up from his chair and stretched. It was time to check on his patient. He strolled casually down the hallway, clipboard in hand, and came to a stop in front of Robin's room. He unlocked the door and peered cautiously around it in case Robin had something ready to throw at his head. There was nothing aimed at his skull. As a matter of fact he couldn't even see Robin. Panic rose in Davids' chest. He threw the door open and checked the bathroom. It was empty. Robin was nowhere to be found. A piece of paper caught Davids' eye as it fluttered across the floor. He bent and picked it up, hands shaking slightly. He quickly read it and then crumpled it up and threw it at the wall, slamming his other fist onto the bed.

In a way Davids wasn't surprised. The kid was determined and didn't seem to comprehend the meaning of the word "no." Davids had expected an escape attempt. He hadn't expected it to work.

Davids' eyes fell on the open window. Almost as if in a trance, he walked to the window and looked down. A rope of cloth was hanging down the side of the hospital building, moving slightly in the breeze. His foot kicked something. The boards he had nailed to the wall were now lying on the floor. He realized for the first time that there were no sheets on the bed.

Davids sat down on the bed, stunned.

"Smart kid," he said to the empty room.

Despite what was stated in Robin's witty note, Davids couldn't let Robin just walk away. He was very unstable at the moment and could possibly hurt himself. He might even hurt someone else; the amnesia might have caused him to forget he was a hero and not a villain. Villainy was human nature, something the mind might resort to in its confused state. Davids ran for the phone.

TT

Officer Donald James couldn't believe what he was hearing. A doctor Matthew Davids was on the line, asking the police to keep an eye out for Robin.

"Why?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, something is wrong," Dr. Davids replied bitterly. "Robin has escaped from the hospital."

Officer James scratched his head.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked.

"He suffered brain damage and currently has amnesia," Davids replied.

"Funny you should call," Officer James began. "I just left Robin at the Public Library. He had seemed confused and somehow different. He said he had to call someone so I let him borrow my cell phone."

"Can you see who he called?" asked Davids excitedly.

"I'll check." Officer James pulled out his cell phone. He scrolled down the list of numbers and times until he found the time he had let Robin use the phone.

"There's no name," he stated. "It just reads 'Private'. Can't help you there." He heard Davids sigh in frustration.

"So what now?" asked Officer James.

"You don't tell anyone what's going on. We don't want the media to know about this. Meet me outside the library doors in ten minutes. Alone." Davids hung up before Officer James could reply.

TT

Exactly seven minutes later Officer James walked up the steps to the Public Library where a large man in his twenties was standing. The two briefly shook hands and entered the library.

TT

Robin had long ago given up on trying to read and was instead staring out the window. He had been here for half an hour and probably had another hour's wait. That gave him plenty of time to think.

First question was, of course, how he had come to be in Jump City, and why Bruce was surprised to hear him call but not relieved. Weren't parents supposed to worry if their child was kidnapped? Bruce didn't seem the least bit concerned, at least up until Robin had said he had been in a hospital.

Secondly, that doctor had said he was almost killed. Who almost killed him and why? He felt pretty good. He was sure that he had been beaten up much worse before.

Finally, why were the police officer and the kid so weird? They claimed he had saved the city. He had never been here before. Was there someone impersonating him here?

Suddenly thirst, Robin got up and went in search of a bathroom. He realized he must be getting better; walking around wasn't nearly as exhausting as it had been forty-five minutes ago. He found the bathroom and pushed the door open. He turned on the sink and cupped his hands, drinking for almost five minutes. Wiping his mouth, he looked up at the mirror and frowned. He looked – different. Older somehow. And maybe a little taller. That was good news. He walked out of the bathroom and started back to the chair when he froze. The doctor and that police officer were standing not three feet away.

TT

Robin was a little ticked off, to say the least. He was hoping that fool of a doctor would just stay at the hospital and leave him alone, but it seemed that he was going to pursue the care of his patient. And the doctor had dragged the police into it! Terrific.

Robin looked at a clock. Bruce would be here in twenty minutes. All he had to do was avoid them and he would be home free. He ducked around a corner and ran down a flight of stairs to the lower floor. Grabbing a humongous reference book, Robin withdrew to the most secluded corner in the library. He held the book up in front of his face and tried to hide behind it. He sat like that for three or so minutes, breathing heavily. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs and peeked out from behind the book. It was them! He watched them take a right at the base of the stairs and dropped the reference book, sprinting around several bookcases. The two men were almost out of sight, and as soon as they rounded a corner he ran back up the stairs to the main level. Only ten more minutes.

Robin leaned against the wall to catch his breath, then walked casually down to the children's section. He spied a huge stack of pillows piled on the ground and made a belay for them. He dove headfirst into the pile and made sure that he was not visible on the outside.

Robin counted silently to 300 in his head. That was the equivalent of 5 minutes. Bruce should be here soon. He counted some more but stopped as someone abruptly sat on him, knocking the wind out of him. He reached his hand through the pillows and tapped the perpetrator on the shoulder. He heard a scream and the load suddenly lifted off of his chest. He could make out a high-pitched voice crying "Mommy!" over and over again. He chuckled and stuck his head out from the pile of pillows. Seeing no one, he climbed out and made his way towards the entrance, quite proud of himself.

There was one corner between him and the doorway, but Robin took no chances. He listened first and then proceeded when no voices came. Pressing his back to the wall, Robin stuck his head around the corner. There was no one there. He moved to take the step that would bring him around the corner, then almost screamed as he felt a hand clamp on his shoulder.

TT

Robin spun around as fast as he could, swinging his right fist at where he hoped the person's head was. Another massive hand caught his fist and brought it down. Robin realized he was looking at the face of Bruce Wayne.

Robin let out a huge sigh of relief and sagged against the wall.

"Bruce!" he nearly shouted. "You scared the heck out of me! I thought you were that demented doctor!"

Bruce smiled at him and pulled him into a hug. Robin pushed away after several seconds.

"Come on," he said, heading for the door. "We need to get out of here." Bruce followed him.

"My car's that way," Bruce indicated. Robin walked towards it.

"Rented?"

"Yes. We'll be staying in a hotel tonight. The next flight back to Gotham isn't until tomorrow. Do you have anything with you?"

Robin gave him an exasperated look. "Of course not. I don't even know why I'm here."

"We had better get you some clothes," Bruce frowned, looking at his son's attire. He was still in the hospital gown and pajama pants.

"Whatever. Then let's eat. I'm starved!" Robin hopped in the car on the passenger's side and Bruce got in on the driver's side. They left in the direction of the mall.

"You know, Robin," Bruce said, catching his eye. "You should probably take off your mask. It makes you conspicuous."

"I will if you buy me some sunglasses."

"Deal."

TT

The hospital gown and pajama pants were now residing in a garbage can. Robin had ditched them in favor of dark blue jeans, a white t-shirt and an unzipped gray sweatshirt. His mask was in his pocket and a pair of dark shades now rested on the top of his head. He had more clothes in a bag. He had been pleased to see he was a bigger size than he had thought he was.

Robin's gray-blue eyes looked hungrily at the sub sitting in front of him in the mall food court. As soon as Bruce came back with his order of Chinese, Robin dug in.

"So," Bruce began as he picked at his ginger beef. "You have no idea why you're in Jump City."

"Nope," Robin said around a mouthful of food.

"And you don't know why you were in the hospital?"

Robin swallowed, then wiped his mouth. "The doctor said I almost died. That somebody almost killed me." Robin shrugged. "Then again, the doctor had mental problems, so that probably isn't true."

Bruce's jaw dropped open and he felt his head spin. He stood up, knocking his chair over, and walked around the table, crushing Robin in another hug. Robin rolled his eyes. Bruce sat back down and picked up his fork again.

"How do you feel right now?" Bruce asked, voice shaking ever so slightly. Sometimes being a father really sucked; all these emotions were enough to make you sick.

"Terrific, now that I've had some food." Robin slurped some pop from his cup.

"Your arm hurt?"

"No."

"Headache?"

"No."

"Do you feel dizzy?"

"Not enough to complain about." Robin finished off the last of his sub and sighed in contentment.

Bruce looked at his watch and stood up. "We should be getting back to the hotel. You need a good night's sleep tonight."

Robin stood up and followed him out of the mall, flicking the shades down as soon as he could see sunlight.

They got in the car and drove towards the hotel. Robin turned on the radio and fiddled with it until he found a rap station. He noticed a bag on the floor.

"What's in the bag?" he asked Bruce.

"See for yourself," Bruce replied.

Robin reached into the bag and pulled out a chocolate brown teddy bear. He stared at it questioningly.

"It's for someone else," Bruce said, blushing a little. He coughed. "Robin? From this point forward I'll be addressing you as Richard, ok? Don't bring up Batman or Robin when we get home."

Robin (who from this point forward will be called Richard) looked at Bruce. "Why not?" he asked. "Alfred knows about it."

"We have a houseguest right now. I would prefer that she doesn't know about Batman."

"A houseguest, eh? Is the teddy bear for her?" Bruce nodded.

"How old is she?"

"Oh, about your age, I'd say."

"Is she pretty?" Richard grinned.

Bruce rolled his eyes. "I'll leave that up to you to determine."

TT

Richard was asleep ten minutes after they got to the room. Bruce looked over at him and smiled an uneasy smile. What had happened? What would happen now? Maybe he should get in contact with the Teen Titans, and perhaps with the doctor Richard insisted was a psycho. But that could wait until morning. Climbing into bed, Bruce also fell asleep far sooner than he had expected.

TT

Officer James had gone back to the station after it became clear that Robin was no longer at the library. Dr. Davids had no idea where he had gone, but it was out of his hands now. Unfortunately, he had to explain to the Titans what was going on.

They were seated in front of him in what had been Robin's room. He didn't tell them what happened but he was pretty sure they knew. He saw eyes wander from the window to the boards to the bed to his face. Wordlessly he handed them the note Robin had written. They each read it and Cyborg let it fall to the ground.

"He's gone?" Cyborg whispered.

"I'm afraid so," Davids replied.

Cyborg bowed his head. Starfire sniffled quietly. Beast Boy kicked the floor. Davids stared at his hands.

"I guess we'd better get back to the Tower," Cyborg said, standing slowly. "Crime is out there, even if Robin isn't. Let us know if you hear anything, ok?"

Davids nodded. "You'll be the first." He watched the Titans file out the door, then rose himself. He shut off the light behind him and closed the door.

_Not a long chapter, but at least I updated faster. I considered making it longer, but this is where the chapter needs to end. I already have the next chapter written. I'll post it when I get 30 reviews.. Sorry this chapter isn't very exciting. It's more informative. Please review! -Mystyre _


	11. Nightmares

_Another update? Well, my mom was giving a piano party and I was really bored. And once again I didn't want to update my other stories. 30 reviews wasn't so bad, was it? I promise I won't ask for a certain number again –coughnickcough-. Lol. Other than updating Lost, which I will do shortly, Inner Workings will be my main focus for a while. The other stories are officially on hiatus and I will work on them when I feel inspired. Be on the lookout for lots of updates to Inner Workings, though. Thank you so much to all reviewers. Reviews really make my day. Hope you enjoy! Just a note: Richard thinks he's about 11 years old but his mind is telling him he's 16, so his behavior is alternating between the two. His mind is very traumatized right now and he's confused, which is why he is acting strangely_.

Richard had fallen asleep almost immediately after they had gotten to the hotel room, but he had woken up about twenty minutes ago and had been unable to resume sleeping. He stared at the ceiling and listened to Bruce snore. This would be a good opportunity to think, but he was too lazy. Rolling onto his side, he tried again to fall asleep, time seeming to pass unrealistically slow.

TT

_He was tied to a chair in a dark room. His head ached terribly and his arm was sore. He thought that he was bleeding somewhere but couldn't determine the source. _

_Footsteps echoed on the concrete behind him and he heard a quiet chuckle. He tried to turn his head but couldn't. It didn't matter. The figure soon appeared in front of him, white teeth gleaming in the darkness._

_The figure spoke softly yet harshly. "How are we today, Robin?" _

_He didn't reply. _

_He could see now that this person was female. She was almost completely shrouded in a dark cloak, the shadows from the hood covering her face. He couldn't make out any feature, save for a pale mouth and dark eyes. _

_Her lips curled into a smile as she withdrew a piece of tape from within her cloak. She taped his mouth shut and put a nose plug on his nose, then stepped back and smiled again._

_A knife appeared in her hand and she used the butt of it to strike his wrist. It hurt terribly but he couldn't cry out. He couldn't even breathe._

_Fondling the blade for a moment, she pressed it up against his throat. She stroked his cheek softly and pushed the blade through the soft skin of his neck._

"_That's for breaking my heart," she whispered._

TT

Bruce had gotten up for a drink of water when he had heard Richard making strange noises. He walked over and looked at his son, who seemed to be trying to move but couldn't. His face shone with sweat and he was gasping for air. The sheets were wrapped tightly around him and clung to his body. Suddenly Richard's body pitched onto the floor, still constricted in sheets. His head smacked the bedside table and he whimpered quietly. He doubled up and gagged. His entire body shivered; then he lay still, head lolling to the side.

Bruce dropped to his knees and shook Richard by the shoulders. He didn't react; instead he seemed to be getting pale. He slapped Richard's face gently. No movement. Cursing, Bruce ran to the bathroom and filled up a glass of water, which he threw on Richard's face and shook him again. Richard's eyelids fluttered. Suddenly his eyes shot open and he drew in a lungful of air. His entire body was trembling and his eyes had a terrified look in them. He thrashed against the sheets but couldn't move. Richard's eyes found Bruce's face and Bruce almost cried. The boy was petrified.

"Bruce! Help me!" he screamed, hyperventilating and still struggling with the sheets. He tried to sit up but whacked his head again. He fell back again, lips trembling and eyes flooding with tears.

"Shhh," Bruce soothed, pulling the boy to his chest. Richard struggled against him.

"Please! You have to untie me!" Richard's eyes searched Bruce's face and Bruce swallowed back tears. The look in Richard's eyes broke his heart.

"Ok. Hold still a minute." Bruce stood Richard up and unwound the sheets from his body, throwing them on the bed. Richard collapsed to the floor again, sobbing softly. He rocked back and forth, tears falling down his cheeks.

Bruce kneeled down again and held out his arms. Richard went into them willingly, his whole body shaking in Bruce's hug. Bruce cradled him and let him cry, his own eyes threatening to spill over.

Bruce tried to stand up but Richard wouldn't let go of him.

"I'll be back in a second," he whispered. Richard nodded and released his arms from around Bruce's neck. He curled up into a tiny ball and watched Bruce's every move.

Bruce retrieved a bag from the closet and withdrew the teddy bear from it. Sure, Richard had outgrown teddy bears seven years ago, but he hadn't seen him cry like this in seven years. He sat down beside Richard and gave him the teddy bear. Richard took it without question, squeezing it tightly. Bruce put an arm around his son and waited.

"I had a nightmare," Robin managed, sniffling a bit. "I was in a dark room and I was tied to a chair. A lady came in, and she taped my mouth shut and put a nose plug on my nose. I couldn't breathe. Then a knife was in her hand and she broke my wrist and slit my throat. I was dying. All my blood was pooling on the floor. She kicked the chair over and I hit my head. She stabbed my stomach and I threw up blood. I died." Richard hiccupped.

"What did she look like?" Bruce asked softly.

"I couldn't tell. She was wearing a black hooded cape. All I could see was her eyes. Her cold, dark eyes." Richard shivered involuntarily and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"Did she say anything?"

"Right before she slit my throat, she said, 'That's for breaking my heart.'" Bruce closed his eyes and sighed, pulling Richard closer to him.

"I know nightmares are scary, but it's over now. That lady isn't real."

Richard spun to face him, eyes pleading. "She's real! I can feel it! She's the one who almost killed me. I know it." Richard hiccupped again and waited for Bruce to reply.

Bruce bit his lip. "I believe you. But she can't hurt you anymore. You're safe now."

"Are you sure?" Richard whispered. Bruce had never seen him so broken down before. So insecure. So…vulnerable.

"I'm sure. Nobody's going to hurt you so long as I'm around," Bruce reassured him. He stood up. "Now, let's get your bed back in order, all right?"

Richard clung to the teddy bear and looked shyly at Bruce with big eyes. He looked almost exactly the way he had when Bruce had first adopted him. "Can I sleep with you?"

Bruce ruffled his hair. "Of course you can." Richard got into bed and Bruce tucked the covers in around him, then got in himself. The teddy bear was still in Richard's arms.

"Bruce?" Richard whispered. "You promise she can't hurt me?"

"I promise."

TT

Raven was extremely bored. Bruce had been gone all day and wasn't supposed to get back until tomorrow. Alfred was busy doing butler stuff and watching TV was getting boring. She decided to head downtown.

Grabbing her trench coat, Raven called out, "I'm going out, Alfred. I'll be back in a couple hours." She didn't bother waiting for an answer in case Alfred told her she wasn't allowed to.

She had some change in her pocket so she took the bus downtown. Raven wasn't sure what she was doing here, but it was better than sitting at the manor watching TV for three more hours. She walked around aimlessly for a while, then got on another bus that was strictly downtown. She sat down in the far back and just looked out the window.

Raven hadn't moved in almost ten minutes and she felt herself getting a little drowsy. She closed her eyes for a moment, but they flew open at the sound of shouting. She sat up and looked at the front of the bus. Two men were waving guns around and swearing uncontrollably. She could barely understand what they were saying.

"Take this bus to the outskirts of the city and no one gets hurt!" one man yelled. Raven realized that they had bags of loot in their hands. The bus driver immediately turned off of his route.

"You!" the other man shouted, pointing at an elderly lady. "Come up here!" Trembling, the lady made her way up to the front of the bus. The man grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and held his gun at her temple. "Drive, man, or this lady gets it!" The woman went as white as a sheet.

Raven looked at the seat across from her. A young college guy was on his cell phone. She listened into his conversation and realized that he had called the police. She looked out the window and saw the Batman sign in the sky again. Now that was kind of cool. Maybe she would get the chance to see Batman in action.

It took half an hour to get from downtown to the outskirts of Gotham City. The men had been on the bus for fifteen minutes and the Batman sign had been in the sky for twelve, but Batman did not come. If no one showed up in time these men would get away!

A line from one of Raven's favorite movies came to her mind: When something is wrong, those who have the ability to fix it have the responsibility to fix it. (National Treasure) Well, she sure as heck had the ability to stop these men, but she hadn't decided yet if she wanted to resume hero work or not. Being normal was actually kind of fun. No responsibilities, no midnight wake-up calls, nothing to worry about except how to entertain herself.

Raven bit her lip. Would she be committed if she stopped one crime? She looked at the petrified look on the lady's face and made up her mind. Tonight she would stop the men, but that didn't mean she would be doing that every night. She stood up and walked down the aisle. Hopefully she had enough energy to use her powers.

Standing alone in front of the men with guns was a lot scarier than she had expected it to be. There was no one to back her up. If she screwed something up, it was over. Focus.

"Let the woman go," Raven growled. The men looked at each other and smirked.

"And what's a cute little thing like you gonna do if we don't?" the first man laughed. Raven's eyes glowed white and her hands glowed black. The man stopped laughing.

"Let her go," Raven repeated. She knew immediately that they wouldn't, though. They would shoot. She surrounded the gun with black energy and wrenched it from the man's hand, crumpling it into a useless piece of tin. The man stared at her in shock. The woman fainted.

Raven levitated the woman back to her seat and turned to face the other man, anger blazing. He pointed his gun at her head and fired. Raven created a force field around the two men that separated them from the rest of the people on the bus. The bullet bounced off the field, hit the roof and barely missed the first man's foot as it sunk into the floor.

Raven tightened the force field around them and opened the bus door. She levitated off the bus and held the men captive. The bus continued on into the night. Keeping her telekinetic hold on them, Raven levitated into the city again and around until she found the police station. She knocked on the door. A big man with a large belly answered.

"These two men just robbed something and held up a bus," Raven said, voice flat. "Their loot is in their bags." She indicated to the men floating beside her. "Where's the jail cell?"

"Now, hold on a second, young lady," the man laughed. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"

Raven sighed. "It should be on the police scanner by now. Two men who held a bus hostage?" The man scratched his belly and went inside. He returned shortly.

"You're right," he said, sounding surprised. "But how do I know that these are the right ones?"

"Ask them yourselves," Raven replied.

He did, and the men admitted to their crime. Who wouldn't? A teenage girl with mind powers was holding them captive. Even jail was a better alternative.

"There's an interrogating room right this way, missy," he said. She followed him, pulling the men behind her like dogs on a leash. She deposited them in the room, where one man began to cry uncontrollably.

"Now I've got a couple questions for you," the big guy said, turning around and hooking his thumbs into his belt loops.

"I'm sorry sir, but I've really got to be going." At that, Raven disappeared into the ground.

TT

Raven walked all the way back to Wayne Manor and phased through the front door. She levitated up the stairs and flopped onto her bed. That was draining. She really needed to exercise her powers. Changing into pajamas she fell asleep within minutes.

TT

The plane ride back to Gotham was unfortunately early. It left the airport at 6:05, so Bruce and Richard had to be there at ten to six, which meant waking up at quarter after 5.

Bruce's internal body clock allowed him to wake up at that precise time. He got up, showered, and brushed his teeth. He packed all his clothes back into his bag and Richard's as well. At 5:35 he was ready to go.

Bruce looked over at Richard, who was still sleeping. His eye softened at the sight of the sixteen-year-old cuddling with a teddy bear. Poor boy.

Bruce knelt down beside the bed and gently shook Richard. He awoke with a start, panicking, then relaxed as he realized it was Bruce.

"It's time to go, Richard," Bruce said softly. "I packed all your stuff up, except one change of clothes." He motioned to the desk, where a pair of black cargo pants and the white t-shirt were sitting. Richard nodded sleepily and got out of bed. He left the teddy bear on the pillow. He changed into the clothes after washing his face and Bruce put the pajamas in his bag. Pulling on his shoes, Richard took the teddy bear and sheepishly gave it back to Bruce. Bruce smiled and put that in his bag as well. Then they left for the airport.

TT

The flight was only about two hours long, but Richard was still tired. Bruce had given him the window seat. Richard leaned up against it and felt himself losing consciousness.

TT

He was falling. His eyes were shut but he could still see. His arms and legs felt so heavy; he couldn't move them, no matter how hard he tried.

_The ground was getting closer, and he was falling faster. He knew he didn't have a parachute. Why was he falling? _

_The voice came softly, like a whisper. "Robin! Are you ok? Is there anything I can do?" He tried to turn his head, but it wouldn't turn. The person was suddenly in front of him. It was her._

_Her malicious smile sent chills up his spine. "Oh Robin! You seem to be falling to your doom!" She laughed, and his eyes widened. She had dropped him! She was trying to kill him again!_

_They were only two hundred meters from the ground. She whispered in his ear, "That's for breaking my heart." And suddenly, she wasn't there anymore. But the ground was. _

TT

Richard gasped so loud that several people around him turned to look at him. His face was ashen and his hands were clammy. He was sitting straight up but his entire body was quivering.

Bruce turned to Richard when he heard the gasp. "Not again," he groaned when he saw Richard's face. He waved his hand in front of Richard's face, but Richard didn't seem to be aware of it. His mouth hung open and he was staring wide-eyed at nothing, panic clearly visible in his eyes. Bruce looked down. Richard had the armrest in a death grip, fingers turning white from effort. Bruce attempted to pry them loose but couldn't. Richard seemed to have incredible strength at the moment.

Bruce stared at Richard, trying to determine if he was awake or still dreaming. Richard's eyes weren't focused on anything and he couldn't hear Bruce, but Bruce didn't think he was asleep. It was almost like he was in a trance.

He snapped his fingers in front of Richard's face, but got no reaction. He fished an ice cube out of his ice water and dropped it down Richard's back. He didn't seem to notice it at first, but then his back arched and his eyes shut, only to reopen almost immediately. Richard looked around in a daze, then took the ice cube out of his shirt. He turned to Bruce, shaking slightly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Bruce put an arm around his shoulder. Richard opened his eyes.

"The woman was there again," he whispered, a haunted look in his eyes. He swallowed, trying to rid his throat of the dryness. "I was falling. She had dropped me from really high. On purpose. She was making fun of me and-" he reached for Bruce's ice water and took a sip. "-and she said it again. 'That's for breaking my heart.' She's still trying to kill me!" He looked at Bruce, desperation clear in his eyes. "What's going on?"

Bruce closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't know. I won't know what's going on until-" he paused. He couldn't tell Richard he was planning on phoning the doctor. Richard would freak out and think that Bruce was betraying him. "-until we get home."

Richard let out a shaky sigh. "I hate this," he said, frustration evident in his voice. "Someone's messing with my mind, and when I find out who, I'm gonna-" He slammed his fist on the armrest.

When the flight attendant came around again Richard ordered a lemonade. He downed it the second it arrived. He leaned back against the seat, eyes closed. Bruce hesitated, then said, "Richard, have you ever heard of the Teen Titans?"

Richard cracked one eye open. "Nope."

Bruce chewed his lip. "Any of these names ring a bell? Cyborg? Starfire? Beast Boy? Raven?"

Richard opened both his eyes and sat up. "The three weirdos who said they were my friends were named Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire. Never heard of Raven." He scratched his head. "Come to think of it, I think they mentioned something about the Teen Titans. I didn't pay much attention though."

Bruce took a deep breath. "Does the word 'Slade' mean anything to you?"

Richard gave him a strange look. "No. Should it?"

"I'm not sure," Bruce replied. "I'm just as confused as you are." Well, almost.

An announcement came that the plane would be landing in Gotham City in ten minutes. Richard sighed.

"I'm home," he said, managing a shaky smile. "And I don't think I'm ever gonna leave." Bruce smiled uneasily.

_That was a really weird chapter, and I'm not sure how many people will like it. But I like it, so that's the biggest thing. I write for myself first. No offense, lol. Either way let me know what you think! And I've started the next chapter already! -Mystyre_


	12. Reality Check

_Like I said before, I am very into writing Inner Workings right now, seeing as it is my most successful story. Once again, thank you guys so much for the reviews! They really encourage me as a writer. Now, for your enjoyment, I present the 12th chapter in Inner Workings. I was finished this on Tuesday, but due to circumstances was unable to post it until now. So Merry Christmas!_

Titans Tower was unusually quiet, and with good reason. The three remaining Titans were gathered in the common room. They weren't really doing anything. Cyborg was flipping through a car magazine but nothing was really sinking in. Beast Boy had a new Gameboy in his hands but it wasn't turned on. Starfire was pacing in front of the window, looking very dejected.

Cyborg sighed and let the magazine fall to the ground. Beast Boy put his Gameboy on the table and Starfire sat down on the couch.

"I miss Robin," she said, voice heavy. The other Titans nodded their agreement.

"You know who I miss?" Beast Boy said quietly, raising his head. "Raven."

Cyborg's eyes grew cold and Starfire's face turned purple. She got up, eyes blazing green.

"How could you possibly miss that horrible creature?" she shouted. "She has betrayed her friends and nearly killed friend Robin! She has no place with us any longer!" With that, Starfire stormed off to her room.

Cyborg glared at Beast Boy. "It's Raven's fault that Robin's gone."

"She saved his life!" Beast Boy argued.

"She wouldn't have had to if she hadn't almost killed him first!She possessed Starfire and almost annihilated the entire team. Well, we may still be alive, but the team will never be the same. She drove us apart! Looks like the witch succeeded after all." Cyborg also left the room, leaving Beast Boy alone to his thoughts.

Beast Boy wasn't sorry he had brought her up. He did miss her. He missed Robin too, of course, but he didn't hold Robin's absence against Raven. He had never felt right about voting Raven out. He had voted with the majority when Starfire told them about her being possessed, but he had felt something was wrong. He didn't know what, though.

Raven might have been withdrawn and creepy, but she wasn't completely psycho! Sure, her father's evil was within her, but that wasn't Raven. Raven cared about her friends and worked hard at being good. She would never possess Starfire! But Starfire wasn't a liar. She was the most open one of the Titans. Unless that's what she wanted them to think. The whole possession thing seemed a little far-fetched to him, although he admitted that it was possible.

Beast Boy frowned, mad that he couldn't figure this out. Say that Starfire had lied and that Raven was innocent. Why would she want Raven out of the Tower. Out of their lives? Why would she want every Titan on the team against Raven?

_Come on, Beast Boy. Think like a girl._ What did girls think about? Shopping? Chocolate? Boys?

That was it! Girls thought about boys! They competed over them and got into huge fights about who was crushing on who. It was plain to everyone that Starfire had a crush on Robin, but what if Raven did as well? Robin and Raven had been slowly growing closer ever since Robin's little issue with the Slade dust. Starfire wouldn't like that. But would she go as far as to lie to get Raven away from Robin?

Only one way to find out.

Beast Boy crept stealthily down the hallway and to Starfire's room. The door was not open, but he turned himself into an ant and went through a crack. He then became a fly and came to rest on top of her closet door.

Starfire sure got mad! Pillows were thrown everywhere and her clothes were all over the floor. There were several dents in the wall and her window had been blasted to smithereens. The light fixture had been crumpled and there was a crack in the headboard of her bed.

Starfire herself was stomping around the room, screaming at nothing. She alternated between English and Tameranean. Beast Boy could hardly make out what she was saying, even when she was speaking English.

"That stupid clorbag! That miserable little demon! She has ruined everything!" Starfire picked up her bookcase and heaved it out the window. She screamed again and flopped on the bed.

Beast Boy was surprised to see that her English was much better than she generally let on. He didn't need a thesaurus to understand what she was saying, and she used slang as if she had been speaking it all her life.

"You would think that after everything that I've done that they would hate her! Cyborg does, but Beast Boy does not! He misses her! That little mutant misses the wretch! They should be thankful that she's gone. But no! NO NO NO!" Starfire pounded a fist into her bed.

Feeling a little freaked out, Beast Boy vacated the room and turned back into his normal self. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then knocked on Starfire's door, every inch the apologetic friend.

"Umm, Star," he said when the door opened. "I'm really sorry for bringing her up. I didn't mean to offend anyone. I probably shouldn't have mentioned anything, seeing as how she possessed you and all."

He was shocked to see Starfire smile warmly at him. "Do not punish yourself, friend Beast Boy," she said, voice oozing friendliness and forgiveness. "I am sure that you did not mean it."

Beast Boy bit his lip but kept the act up. "So, I was just wondering, how did it feel to be possessed?"

Starfire shuddered. "It was most horrible. It was as if my entire being was as insignificant as a bug that was unfortunately crushed. I was unable to do anything until Raven removed the spell. It was truly frightening."

"How did she destroy the city?" Beast Boy asked. "Like, what did she make you do?"

"She used my powers to cause destruction everywhere. My alien strength destroyed buildings and she caused starbolts to rain down upon roads and to frighten off civilians."

"So you had no control over what was going on?" Beast Boy said, fearing the answer.

"I had none."

"Thank you, Starfire, for being so open with me," Beast Boy said graciously. Starfire smiled politely and closed her door.

Beast Boy struggled down the hallway to his room, legs shaking and head spinning.

"Raven's innocent," he whispered.

TT

It was a beautiful Tuesday morning and classical music woke Raven once again at 8 AM. Her fatigue was completely gone and she felt great.

She showered and put on the purple cargo pants and a white tank top. Heading downstairs, she got some Apple Cinnamon Cheerios from the cupboard and poured herself a bowlful. The paper was on the table again and she picked it up, simultaneously dropping her spoon. Right in the middle of the front page was a picture of her and the two men from the bus. The headline read:

**MYSTERIOUS TEEN APPREHENDS THIEVES**

The story went on to tell of how an unknown girl saved a busful of people held hostage when Batman did not come. It mentioned that she had powers, but the writer did not seem to know what to call them.

Raven sighed shakily. Great. So much for incognito! At least no one here knew who she was. Apparently their own superhero was more important than anybody else's. Which suited her just fine.

Raven lay the paper down on the table and finished her cereal. She then returned to her room, intent on spending the day reading.

TT

After Richard and Bruce had gotten off the plane they had phoned for a taxi. They had been informed that it would take twenty minutes for the cab to come, but Bruce figured the wait was better than walking. Richard agreed.

They had another ten or so minutes to wait, and Richard was getting antsy. He was walking around the terminal aimlessly and stopping to play with one of the cats that lived there. Bruce took advantage of his son's absence to call the doctor on his cell phone. He had looked the number up while they were in Jump City; discreetly, of course. He would be hearing from Hell if Richard found out. Making sure Richard wasn't within hearing distance, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number.

The phone rang twice, then a man picked up. "Dr. Davids, Jump City General Hospital," a deep voice said.

"Dr. Davids, I regret not being able to introduce myself, but you have some information that I need." Pause.

"This isn't some sort of movie joke, is it?" Davids asked warily.

"No," Bruce said, confused.

"Are you a stalker like in-"

"No! I am calling because of Robin," Bruce replied loudly.

"Ah. And why is that?" Davids asked.

"Robin happens to be my son, and when a father finds out that his son nearly died, he generally has questions for the doctor who was in charge of him."

"I see. Well, I shall have to give you the benefit of the doubt. Robin is in need of medical attention and I will have to assume you will insure that he receives it." Davids informed him.

"That I will."

"Apart from his obvious injuries, like the fractured wrist, Robin suffered brain damage which has resulted in amnesia."

"How did he get brain damage?" Bruce asked testily.

"Lack of oxygen, I'm afraid."

"Mmm…" Bruce wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"Indeed."

"Who almost killed him?" That question had been plaguing Bruce's mind for the past twenty-four hours. If he ever found out, he would – no, that could land him in jail. Needless to say, he would be very, very angry with them.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that."

"And why not?" What was the doctor hiding?

"His teammates, or should I say former teammates, asked me to keep that private. I need to honor their request. When Robin's memory returns, he can tell you."

"Thank you very much for your time, Doctor. We'll be in touch." Bruce snapped his phone shut, just as Richard informed him that the taxi had arrived.

TT

Richard felt his heart jump when Wayne Manor came into view. Home! Now he had nothing to worry about.

The taxi pulled up in front of the manor and Richard jumped out. He waited for Bruce to pay the driver, then ran up to the door and pulled it open, a huge smile on his face.

Everything was just as it should have been. He stared at the scene until Bruce gave him a gentle shove, pushing him inside. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Alfred busy dusting a statue. He coughed loudly and Alfred looked up.

"Master Bruce! Master Richard!" he exclaimed. "You've arrived." He came forward to take Bruce's coat but Richard intercepted him.

"It's great to see you, Alfred!" he said emphatically, hugging the elderly gentleman. Alfred returned the hug a bit awkwardly.

"And it is wonderful to see you as well, Master Dick. Can I get you anything?" Richard shook his head.

"I can get it myself. Bruce, do we have pop in the fridge?" Bruce nodded and Richard went off to the kitchen.

"Please bring my bag up to my room, and send Raven down," he said, a playful look in his eye. "I'd like her to meet my son."

TT

A knock on the door shook Raven from the world of Edgar Allan Poe and she stood up quickly to answer it. Alfred was standing there, a bag in his hand.

"Master Bruce and Master Richard have come home," he said primly. "They request your presence downstairs in the living room." He left in the direction of the master bedroom, leaving Raven with her jaw slightly agape.

So Bruce had gotten back and he had his son with him. Interesting. Time to meet the family.

She walked downstairs to find the living room empty. She took a seat on the couch anyway and waited.

TT

With a can of Coke in his hand, Richard met up with Bruce in the foyer.

"So, do I get to meet our houseguest?" he asked, grinning broadly.

Bruce nodded in the direction of the living room. "She's waiting for you in there."

Richard winked at Bruce and strode off towards the living room. Bruce followed him, smiling to himself.

TT

Richard opened the door to the living room, excited to meet this houseguest. But the second his eyes fell on her, all excitement left him. He froze, hand still on the door.

The room suddenly became chilly and seemed to grow dark. There was a presence of evil in that room, and it was coming from the girl. It was _her._ The woman from his nightmares.

Faraway he could hear Bruce saying his name, but he didn't respond. He couldn't respond. All he could do was stare at her. The person who had tried to kill him.

He knew he should be panicking, but he couldn't. He was strangely calm, in a terrified way.

The girl stood up, her cold, dark eyes piercing his soul.

"Robin," she whispered, a sinister smile curling her lips.

Richard hit the floor in a dead faint.

TT

Raven stared at the person in front of her, not believing what she was seeing. Sure he wasn't wearing his uniform and his eyes were unmasked, but there was no mistaking who it was.

She stood up shakily, tears in her eyes.

"Robin?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper. His eyes grew wide and she saw them roll back. Before she could react, Robin was sprawled across the floor, unconscious.

TT

Bruce saw Richard freeze in the doorway.

"Richard?" he called out uncertainly. "Are you ok?"

He looked beyond Richard and saw Raven getting up from the couch. Then suddenly Richard collapsed in the doorway. Bruce rushed to his side, frowning. What was going on? He looked at Richard's face, which was abnormally pale. Raven stood several feet away, watching.

Bruce propped his son up and shook his shoulders. "Richard?" he said loudly. "Richard?"

Richard opened his eyes. He blinked several times, trying to focus. His eyes fell on Raven and widened, blood draining from his face again. He looked at Bruce, mouth open but not saying anything.

"What's wrong?" Bruce demanded.

Richard pointed a shaking finger at Raven. "It's her," he whispered hoarsely, trying to crawl backwards. Bruce put a hand on his shoulder, confining him to the spot.

"Who?"

"It's her," he said a bit louder, coughing once. Bruce could see the panic in his eyes. "The lady from my dreams. The one who tried to kill me."

Bruce looked at Raven, who was rooted to the spot. He looked back at Richard. "What are you talking about?"

"I remember now. I was fighting her, and we were really high. I couldn't breathe. She dropped me. Right before I passed out, she said, 'That's for breaking my heart.'" Richard struggled to his feet. "You tried to kill me!" he said, pointing an accusing finger at Raven.

Bruce looked at Raven again. Any color in her face was gone. "Do you know who this is?" he asked Richard.

"I just told you! The person who tried to kill me!" Richard was a little more confident now. Who wouldn't be, with Bruce Wayne standing next to them?

He looked apologetically at Raven. "I'm not sure Richard's thinking straight right now," he said. "He's probably-"

"No," Raven said quietly. "He's right." Bruce stared at her.

"Remember when I told you we had a fight?" Raven swallowed nervously. "I lost my temper. And I did almost kill Robin. And every other member of the Titans." Raven bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

All Bruce could do was stare at her. This was the person who almost killed his son? Raven? He had welcomed her into his home! He bought her new clothes! He fed her and gave her a place to sleep! He had saved her life! And she was the one responsible for Richard's condition. She was the reason Richard was suffering.

Bruce looked at her in distaste. He quelled his rising anger and exhaled slowly.

"Get out," he said quietly. "Leave. Right now. I don't ever want to see you back here again." He took hold of Richard's arm and steered him away from the room. Neither Richard nor Bruce looked back.

TT

Tears were in Raven's eyes as she packed her bag for the second time in less than a week. She didn't take any of what Bruce had bought her, other than what she was wearing. She put Robin's Bo staff in her bag and slung it over her shoulder. This time she didn't take one last look at the room she had called home for however brief a time. She didn't want to have pleasant memories to look back on.

No one was in the foyer or in any of the adjoining rooms. Raven couldn't blame them. She let herself out the front door and walked down the lane, once again turning her back on what she thought her life could have been.

TT

The streets of Gotham City were very crowded. People pushed each other back and forth trying to get to their destinations. Raven didn't push anyone. She let herself be pushed, but she didn't fight back.

Turning a corner onto the street by the bus depot, someone crashed into Raven at full speed. Both parties were knocked to the ground. Raven didn't look up as she picked herself up off the cement. At least not until she heard a familiar voice.

"Raven?"

"Beast Boy?" She was in shock to she the short green changeling in front of her. And she was even more shocked when he hugged her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, pushing him away.

"I came to find you!" he said excitedly.

"Why? Everybody hates me. I wrecked everything," she mumbled.

"No you didn't. We were wrong. Starfire lied!" Beast Boy was ecstatic. He was going to fix everything!

"What? How do you know?"

"I figured it out. Come on; we need to find Robin!"

"Why? He has amnesia," Raven inquired.

"I know, but he needs to come back to Jump City. We have to talk. As a team," he said seriously.

Raven sighed. "I know where he is, but I can't go back there."

"Back where?"

"To Wayne Manor."

"Why? You know what, never mind. We're going!" Beast Boy grabbed her by the hand and sprinted off, with no idea where he was going.

"It's that way," Raven informed him dryly.

"Ok!"

Twenty-three minutes later Raven found herself in the last place she wanted to be; back on the doorstep of Wayne Manor.

_I think it's safe to say that this is the climax of the story. From here on is going to be one big grouping of randomness that comes along as soon as it occurs to me. This chapter definitely sets the direction of the story. Who knew Beast Boy would be the one to figure it out? While I was writing his conversation with Starfire, the song from Lion King 2 was playing in my head. "Deception, disgrace, evil as plain as the scar on his face. Deception, an outrage, disgrace, for shame, he asked for trouble the moment he came…" Thought that was kind of weird. Oh well. I can't say when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully it will be soon! The only reason I can write so much is because I have no swim practice right now, so unfortunately these fast updates cannot last. Take advantage of them though. Review!_


	13. Reliving the Past

_I think I've set a new personal record on time between updates. I'm very sorry that I haven't updated, but I've been extremely busy the past three months with swimming. Things have died down a bit now, though, so hopefully I can update all my stories and update Inner Workings again. I can't believe it's been three months since I've had the time to write! That's awful. Once again, I apologize, and hope that people will continue to read this story, which is about to get very strange._

Bruce and Richard were in the kitchen where Richard had popped the top on another can of Coke and Bruce had opted for something a little stronger. Richard had calmed down a bit but Bruce was still simmering. How could it be that Raven had almost killed Richard? Why had she almost killed Richard? He was still missing too many pieces of the puzzle to figure this out.

Richard drained the Coke and set the can on the counter. He looked at Bruce, a hurt look in his eyes.

"How could you let her live here?" he asked. "I thought you cared about me."

Bruce dumped the rest of his drink down the sink and looked Richard straight in the eye. "Of course I care about you. You're my son."

"But then why did you let her-"

"I didn't know she was the one who had tried to kill you. I had found her several days ago, unconscious on the road and bleeding from a bullet wound. You know how I am. I have to help people." Bruce didn't mention that now he would gladly let Raven bleed to death a hundred times over and feel no regret.

Richard nodded but the look on his face didn't change. He obviously didn't feel that Raven had deserved Bruce's help.

"Richard, ah, I know that you're not really in the mood for talking, but I need to ask you some questions. It'll help clear things up," Bruce said, his voice implying that Richard didn't really have a choice in the matter.

Richard rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Sometimes I really wish you hadn't majored in psychology."

"Does the name Teen Titans mean anything to you?"

"You already asked me that on the plane, Bruce. I told you it didn't."

"I thought maybe it would now that your memory is coming back a bit," Bruce replied. He was going to have to be careful wording these questions.

"So what if my memory is coming back a bit? What does that have to do with the Teen Titans?" Richard asked, frowning.

"Do you remember what the names of the three people who said they were your friends were?"

"Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire. You asked me about them too," Richard said, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Do you remember the other name I told you? That I asked if it rang a bell?"

Richard frowned, then looked up as the name came to him. "Wasn't it Raven?"

Bruce nodded. "Now what do those people have in common?"

"I'm assuming that they've got something to do with the Teen Titans." Richard was getting bored fast.

"Correct. Now, the Teen Titans have, or possibly had, a fifth member. Can you tell me who that is?"

"Of course I can't. I don't know anything about the Teen Titans. Now why are you-"

"You know more than you think," Bruce interrupted him. "The fifth member of the Teen Titans was a very headstrong individual who decided he was sick of being a sidekick. He wanted his own team to lead and succeeded in creating the Teen Titans. Now do you know anything?"

Richard sighed and rolled his eyes. "Bruce, stop messing around. Just tell me who the guy is."

"It was you."

"What?"

"You are the leader of the Teen Titans. That's why you were in Jump City."

"Don't play head-games with me, Bruce. What are you talking about?"

"Richard, how old are you?"

Richard opened his mouth to answer but didn't know what to say. His eyes narrowed in confusion but he quickly caught himself. "I'm the same age I've been all year, duh."

"And how old is that?"

"Thirteen," Richard said defiantly, but the look in his eyes was one of uncertainty.

Bruce sighed and scratched his head. "Actually, Richard, you're sixteen."

"No I'm not!"

"Have you looked in a mirror recently? Do you look thirteen?"

Richard bowed his head. "No," he whispered. He looked up at Bruce again, eyes pleading. "What happened to me, Bruce? Why can't I remember anything?"

"I don't know a lot, but I'm going to tell you what I know. But first, do you trust me?" Bruce stared his right in the eye.

Richard looked away. "I don't know who I trust anymore."

Bruce quelled the wave of despair that washed over him and put a hand on Richard's shoulder. "I need you to trust me. Everything I'm telling you is the truth. Can you believe me when I say that?"

Richard bit his lip. Bruce grasped Richard's chin lightly and turned him so that they were facing each other again. "Look at me," Bruce said with a firmness he didn't feel. "Can you trust me?"

Richard looked him in the eye but dropped his gaze after several moments. "I'll try," he said. His head suddenly snapped up and he met Bruce's gaze. "Promise that you won't lie to me?"

Bruce held out his hand. "I promise," he said solemnly as Richard shook it.

Bruce stood up. "Let's go somewhere with more comfortable seats. This might take a while." Richard followed him out of the kitchen and into the den, where took a seat on the leather couch and Bruce sat opposite him in a leather chair.

"Three years ago you decided that you didn't want to be a sidekick anymore," Bruce began. "You told me that you wanted to move out of Gotham and start your own team. Because you were only thirteen, I told you that you couldn't go. You had only been training with me for four years and weren't experienced enough to be a leader. Of course, being the headstrong person you are, you took off one night and hitchhiked to Jump City."

"I ran away from home?" Richard asked in disbelief. "That was stupid."

"I agree. You didn't even leave a note. I had the police service on alert because I figured that you had gone soloing one night and got yourself caught. I must have spent twenty hours searching Gotham for you." The emotions of those days hit Bruce again full force. "Finally three days later you phone to say that you ran out of money and were hungry. I immediately jumped on a plane and flew out to Jump City and met you at the McDonald's near the hospital. You must have eaten seven cheeseburgers," Bruce smiled. "I should have canned you on the spot and dragged you back to Gotham, but you really wanted to prove your maturity. Against my better judgment, I bought an apartment for you and helped you get settled. I gave you a credit card, which I must admit you used wisely, and left you to fend for yourself."

"I had my own apartment at thirteen?" Richard asked. "Sweet.

"Indeed. I didn't hear from you much for a while so I ended up having to call you just to find out if you were still alive. You had proceeded to round up a team for yourself and were making quite a name in Jump City." Bruce paused. "How are you doing? Are you believing me?"

Richard shrugged. "Nothing sounds extremely unbelievable yet, and soloing has crossed my mind several times, so I can believe that I would do stuff like that. But I can't believe you would just let me move out! At thirteen! You're supposed to take care of me! Didn't you think I would be irresponsible and get myself killed?"

"The thought crossed my mind several times and many days I kicked myself for being such a pushover, but you proved yourself capable and I was able to trust you."

"Oh." That wasn't the answer Richard had been expecting.

"The past three years you've been living in Jump City in a giant T-shaped tower which, I must add, cost me a mint." Bruce glared at Richard and smiled when Richard blushed. "You've done a decent job as a crime-fighter and a very good job as leader of your team. You've defeated many villains and kept the city safe. Now, I already asked you this on the plane, but does the word Slade mean anything to you?"

Richard's eyes narrowed as he searched his memory. "No," he said finally. "Who is Slade?"

"Your biggest nemesis in Jump City. Several months ago you emailed me to tell me that he had drugged you and that you had been hallucinating. That's another time you've almost died." Bruce tried to smile at Richard lightheartedly but couldn't. "I still have the email if you want proof."

"No. I believe you." This time the smile came. Bruce was relieved that this wasn't all going in one ear and out the other.

"I have a question, though. You said that there was a Raven on my team, but she wasn't at the hospital. Why?"

"About a week ago you kicked her off the team for, ah, misconduct. She left Jump City and got a ride headed to Gotham, but the driver happened to be a thief who threatened to kill her. She ended up killing him and then you and the other Titans got involved. She almost killed every member on your team. Including you." Bruce let that sink in.

Richard paled. "But that would mean that-"

Bruce nodded.

"Raven was the person in my dreams? She tried to kill me? And you let her live here?" Richard was shouting at this point.

"I didn't know that until just now. Which is why she is gone. I don't want her anywhere near you." _And if I have my way, _Bruce added mentally, _she's going to be in jail for quite some time._

Richard got up and paced. Bruce slipped out to the kitchen and returned with a glass of water. He set it on the table for Richard. "You doing ok?" he asked.

Richard spun around. "No!" he shouted. "I'm not ok! I just found out that everything the doctor said about me is true, that I have a team I'm supposed to be leading and I don't know anything about them, that one of my teammates betrayed us and almost killed me, and that I'm 16 years old and I don't have a girlfriend!" Exasperated, Richard flung himself on the couch again.

Bruce picked up the glass and handed it to Richard, who swallowed half of it in one gulp. "You don't need a girlfriend, you know," Bruce said quietly. Richard groaned.

"Amnesia can go away, can't it?" Richard asked softly. "I want my life back."

"All it takes is a trigger," Bruce replied. "We should probably go out to Jump City later on in the week so-" the doorbell interrupted him.

"I'll get it," Richard sighed. He walked past Bruce to the entryway and opened the door. And screamed.

TT

Bruce came running. "What's wrong?" he asked, instinctively pushing Richard behind him. He found himself staring at the little green thing from Robin's team. And behind him, biting her lip and cowering slightly, was Raven.

Bruce's eyes narrowed at her. "What are you doing here?" he growled. "I don't ever want to see you on my property again! Now get out of here before I call-"

The green one interrupted him. "Ah, pardon me, sir. We're here to see Robin."

"Robin is not available at the moment," Bruce informed him in a flat voice. "He-"

Richard tapped him on the shoulder. "Actually, I am available. I think that I should talk to him."

Bruce turned to face Richard. "I don't want you anywhere near her. She's dangerous." He shot a death glare at Raven, who cringed even more.

"I said I was sorry," she whispered.

"Sorry doesn't cut it! Not when you almost killed him! Not when he can't remember the last three years of his life!" Bruce bellowed.

"She saved his life!" the green boy said in a voice louder than expected. Bruce looked at him and Richard came around from behind Bruce. "He was going to die but she used her powers to save him. You should be thanking her!"

"He wouldn't have needed saving if she hadn't almost killed him first."

"But he's alive! Be thankful!"

"Beast Boy," Raven whispered. "I think we should just leave. They're pretty mad at me right now and Robin doesn't remember us."

"Oh. Sorry." He extended his hand to Richard, who shook it quizzically. "Hi, I'm Beast Boy. I'm a member of your team back in Jump City." He offered his hand to Bruce, who just stared at him. Finally he shook Beast Boy's hand.

"This is Raven," Beast Boy informed Richard.

"We've already met," Richard told him dryly.

"Why are you here?" Bruce asked Beast Boy. He didn't even want to look at Raven.

"We need Robin to come back to Jump City with us. We have to talk. As a team," he said seriously.

"Robin is not going anywhere right now. We just got home and I would like him to see a doctor as soon as possible. So if that's all you needed we'll be sure to phone you when the time is right."

"But he has to come now! I figured everything out. Starfire lied to get Raven kicked off the team. Cyborg doesn't know yet and Robin should be there, even if he doesn't remember us."

"Why should I believe you?" Bruce asked testily. "Why should I believe that Raven's innocent?"

"You were her friend until you found out what happened to Robin! She said she's sorry and she wants to try to fix things but you won't let her!"

"Of course I won't!" Bruce snapped. "She's already made enough of a mess." He glared at her again.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice barely above a whisper. She faced Richard, who tensed his muscles and stepped closer to Bruce. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I made a mistake and that you had to pay for it. But I'm trying to make things right again. The Robin I know made plenty of mistakes too. He didn't always trust his teammates but we trusted him. He always believed the best about people and gave us second chances. We had to give him second chances too. All I'm asking for is your forgiveness."

Richard looked away. "I don't even know you. I may have at one time, but now you mean nothing to me. You're not a part of my team anymore."

Beast Boy frowned at the tears in Raven's eyes. "But she's my friend and I'm part of your team. Once your memory comes back it will be easier to talk." He looked one more time at Bruce with pleading eyes. "Can't you please let him come to Jump City with us? We need him to sort things out."

"Robin is not going anywhere right now. We may be coming to Jump City in a week or so and we'll be sure to stop by. Have a nice day." He closed the door in their faces.

TT

"I don't even want to go to Jump City," Richard told Bruce.

"Good, because we're not going to. After that conversation I'm beginning to wonder whether or not you should just stay here in Gotham."

"But before you said-"

"That was before I found out that Raven was still associating with the Titans. Things have changed now."

"Master Bruce," Alfred said, suddenly appearing from down the hall. "There is an alert on the Batwave."

Bruce looked at his watch. "But it's only noon," he replied. "Who would be out in broad daylight?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that, but you need to come quickly."

Bruce started towards the Batcave, then stopped when he noticed Richard following him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"With you, of course," Richard grinned.

"Not this time. Not with a cast on your arm. Go eat lunch or something." Bruce frowned.

"But-"

"No buts. After being gone for three years it's not wise to suddenly jump back into things. And like I said, I don't want you crimefighting right now. You're still not completely healed. Now go eat lunch." Bruce followed Alfred down to the Batcave, leaving Richard stewing.

"No, you can't come. No, go eat lunch. Blah blah blah," Richard mimicked in a singsong voice. "Although I am kind of hungry."

He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, searching for something appetizing. Suddenly a hand clamped over his mouth and he was spun around. He found himself facing Beast Boy, whose hand was over his mouth, and Raven, who was still standing behind him timidly.

Richard wrenched Beast Boy's hand away from his mouth. "How did you get in here?" he hissed. He opened his mouth wider to scream for Bruce but Beast Boy covered his mouth again.

"Shhhhhh! We have to get back to Jump City!" Beast Boy whispered.

"But I don't want to go to Jump City," Richard said into Beast Boy's glove.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Raven mumbled.

"It doesn't matter. It's necessary. Now, are you going to be quiet?" Richard shook his head. "Then we're going to have to gag you. Bruce won't know you're gone for a couple of hours, so we need to get home ASAP. Raven, find some tape."

"Is this really necessary?" Raven asked as she pulled a roll of duct tape out of a drawer. Beast Boy took it and tore a strip off. He plastered the strip over Richard's mouth and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the kitchen, down the hall, and out of the house. He then went pterodactyl and grabbed Richard's arms.

"I'm not in favor of this, but if I were you, I wouldn't squirm too much," Raven told Richard, smirking just slightly. He gaped at her. "Don't worry. I'll be right behind you in case you fall. And I swear that I will catch you."

_Finally done! This took me over four hours to write, but I finally finished it. Yes, Beast Boy is acting OOC, but everything in this story is OOC. Poor Richard gets kidnapped. Heh. Hopefully it won't take so long for me to update this story and my other stories. I have a week off from swimming coming up, so I should be able to write a lot. I don't know the origin of the Teen Titans so I just made one up. And I'm sorry that most of this chapter is dialogue. It's kind of a filler that's boring but necessary. Please review! -Mystyre_


	14. Revelations

_I'm sorry._

Cyborg was feeling a lot more levelheaded now that he had spent several hours with his baby. Raven was no longer on his mind and he was no longer mad at Beast Boy. Not that he would apologize, of course.

Cyborg went into the kitchen and fixed himself a snack of two double cheeseburgers, a foot-long sub and a humongous chocolate shake. Humming to himself in an attempt to break the unsettling silence, he went into the common room and set his food on the table. Then it was time to find Beast Boy.

"BB?" he called down the hall. "Wanna play some video games?" He waited several minutes for an answer, then went in search of his friend.

"I really should have installed a PA system," he muttered under his breath. "This tower's too big."

A brief ten-minute search left him scratching his head in the common room again. "Now where could he have gone?" Cyborg wondered aloud. He shrugged his shoulders and stared at his food gleefully. "Oh well. Guess I'll just have to watch a movie."

Cyborg flipped through his DVDs and decided now was a good time for Fast and Furious. He reached for the remote on the table…and was shocked when his hand returned to him empty.

A frown darkened his face as he stared at the empty coffee table. The DVD remote had been there yesterday, yet here he was with no remote and a DVD player on the other side of the room. How was he supposed to watch TV without the remote?

Letting out a sigh, Cyborg replaced the DVD and opted for an old-fashioned VHS. That remote was sitting right where it was supposed to. He looked through the remaining VHS' and felt his stomach churn. The only movies that they still had on VHS were the ones that Starfire liked. She didn't like the DVD player very much and kept a very, shall we say interesting, collection of movies for her entertainment. Unfortunately, Cyborg did not share her taste in films. He had a choice between Bambi, The Secrets of Hot Dogs, or How to Crochet a Milblark in 3 Napzoids. Not exactly what he was in the mood for.

At the bottom of the pile of tapes was one without a label. Figuring it couldn't be any worse than the others, he popped it in, grabbed the remote and kicked back against the couch.

TT

The Tuesday Sun was a welcomed embrace on Raven's pale skin. Unfortunately, neither Beast Boy nor Robin were in any condition to enjoy the weather. Beast Boy's pterodactyl hide was too thick to appreciate the warmth or the breeze, and Robin was so steamed up he was giving off almost as much heat as the Sun. Robin had a sour expression on his face and kept shooting death glares at Raven. Beast Boy's powerful wings kept him and Robin well aloft, but Raven could tell Robin was not comfortable with the situation at all. She didn't blame him. He had just been kidnapped by someone he didn't know and someone who had tried to kill him. And those who associate with killers generally shouldn't be trusted. Generally.

The flight would be about an hour more, providing Beast Boy kept his pace up. Raven hadn't tried talking to Robin yet; the expression he had had on his face told her that would not be a wise move. At the moment, though, he looked about as bored and relaxed as he had been the entire ride.

Seeing as how they were quite a distance from the ground, Raven figured that it wouldn't matter if Robin screamed his head off up here. Batman was too far away to do anything now. At least for a couple of hours.

Raven levitated directly beside Robin and, as gently as possible, peeled the duct tape back from his mouth. He refused to make eye contact with her. She let the tape flutter to the ground, adding littering to the charges against her. Raven chewed her lip for a moment, then positioned herself in front of Robin. He glanced up briefly, rolled his eyes and pointedly avoided her gaze, though Raven continued to stare at him.

"We need to talk, Robin," she said. "Regardless of what you think or say."

Robin glared at her and kept his mouth shut.

"The first thing I have to say is that I'm sorry," Raven said quietly, looking him directly in the eyes. "I'm sorry that this whole mess ever started. I'm sorry that I hurt you and I'm sorry that you don't remember anything. I really am. I want to fix this, but I'm not really sure how." She attempted a smile. "Fortunately, the Robin I know can fix anything. So maybe-"

"Maybe what?" Robin snapped, glaring at her. "Maybe we can be friends again? Maybe I'll forget this every happened? I don't remember much, but believe me I'm not going to forget this!"

"Robin. Can you please just listen to me?" If Robin had been able to fold his arms, he would have.

"No, I won't listen to you! You're psychotic! The minute I'm back on the ground I'm phoning the police and getting you and Dino Boy arrested!" Robin was practically foaming at the mouth. "I hate you! I hate you all and I just want to go home!" His voice faltered at the word 'home' and the look on his face shifted from one of anger to that of a little lost boy. The look in his eyes beat her emotional barriers to the ground and she wanted to wrap her arms around him and comfort him. But she didn't.

"I know you won't believe me, but I care about you, despite everything I've done. We all do. One week ago we were a family. We trusted each other and cared about each other. And I don't know what happened but I want things back to normal! I want to go home, too."

Raven looked at him, eyes pleading. He met her gaze, but only for a moment.

"Bruce doesn't like you. He thinks you're dangerous." Robin murmured.

"I made a mistake. I'm sorry. Maybe I was a little insane at that time. Please know that I don't ever want to hurt you again. I want to be friends again, Robin. You're not the only one who lost their life." Raven swallowed a lump in her throat and dropped her gaze. "Bruce used to like me. I thought he would be my friend, but blood is thicker than water. I don't blame him."

"I'm not his son, you know. I don't know why he likes me. I mean, I'm just some ex-circus kid. I'm not special or anything." Robin's voice was softer and he was letting his emotional walls slide away slowly. He looked at her, a sad, faraway look in his eyes. "But he's the closest thing I have to a family."

Raven couldn't say anything.

TT

The Batmobile was parked outside a local outdoor swimming pool and a grim-faced Batman was surveying the scene. The pool was half-empty, the concrete was sticking up in slabs all over the place and the chain-link fence was completely flattened. There were no people there except a couple of lifeguards.

"What happened?" Batman growled.

A blonde-haired, blue-eyed, overly tanned lifeguard was practically shaking in his sandals.

"It was incredible, man," he said in a drawled-out voice. "This huge, like, monster jumped over the fence and started beating its chest and howling. Everybody, like, stampeded for the change rooms, but the monster wasn't after them. It just, like, jumped in the pool and knocked a bunch of water out. Then it, like transformed. It got real big and even uglier. It was jumping up and down and then it flattened the fence. Then, like, suddenly, it disappeared, but this little butterfly flew up into the sky."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "Was anybody injured?"

The lifeguard scratched his head. "Nope, everybody ran away."

"Have you seen this monster before?"

"Nuh-uh."

"What did it look like?"

"Uh, it was big, and, uh, ugly and, oh yeah! It was green."

"Green?"

"Yup. It sure was."

"And you say it disappeared?"

The lifeguard scratched his head again. "Well, I think it did. Maybe it, like, turned into the butterfly and flew away."

Batman resisted rolling his eyes. "Maybe it turned into the butterfly and flew away? A monster does not suddenly become a butter-" A light clicked on in his head. "You said it was green?"

"Yeah, It wasn't much of a monster, really. It didn't hurt anybody. It just like, wrecked stuff. Kind of weird if you ask me."

Batman glared at him. " Nobody asked you." With a swish of a cape and the swoosh of a hydraulic door, Batman was gone.

TT

Cowl thrown back, Bruce was on the Batwave trying to contact Alfred.

"Alfred!" he bellowed. "Pick up!"

There was a click on the end of the line and the butler's crisp voice became audible.

"Yes, sir. What may I do for you?"

"Find Richard and bring him here. Hurry!"

"Right away, sir."

After several moments of agonizing silence, Alfred opened the link again.

"I'm sorry sir, but I cannot locate the young Master Dick."

Bruce cursed and slammed a massive fist into the dashboard.

"Hold all my calls, Alfred," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm about to enter a very important meeting."

"Yes, sir. Very good, sir."

TT

Cyborg had half a sub stuffed in his mouth and his eyes glued to the screen. He was seeing something he had hoped to never see again, but what he was seeing was something he had never seen before.

It was the possession tape. But different.

It had to be the same tape that Starfire had shown them, because logically there could only be one. But what he was seeing was different that what he had seen before.

The performance was exactly the same, but certain little details were off. Like the color of Raven's hair. It seemed slightly darker than normal. And Raven's room was dark, wasn't it? There seemed to be strategic lighting only where the possession was taking place.

Cyborg swallowed the sandwich quickly and stared intently at the screen. How could he have not noticed this stuff before? Raven was just taking possession of Starfire's body when the screen blinked out. It was only for a second, but in that moment, Raven apparently stole Starfire's body.

A gnawing voice started talking in Cyborg's head. Something was fishy with this tape. And being the technical genius he was (ahem), it was up to him to figure out what.

He popped the tape out of the VCR and brought it into his room. He began flipping through his alphebatized computer software programs to find the moviemaker one. It wasn't there. He checked again. Still not there. Frantically he searched the entire stack until he found it at the very bottom. Something was definitely up.

He pulled the program out and was about to pop it into his computer when the alarm went off. Reluctantly he set the tape and the program in a locked drawer and went to find Star and BB.

Beast Boy was still nowhere to be found. Cyborg decided he would get Starfire and they could both look for him. He went to her room and knocked on the door.

No answer.

"Starfire? The alarm sounded 8 minutes ago. We've really gotta get moving. Are you in there?"

He opened the door and surveyed the room. It was definitely empty. But it was a mess! Cyborg thought only BB"s room got this messy. Clothes were everywhere, the bed wasn't made, stuffed animals were piled up on every flat surface and shopping bags and hairspray were scattered all across the floor. It was not normal.

Tentatively Cyborg ventured into the room and looked around. Sidestepping everything on the floor he made his way over to the bed. Her pillows were stuffed under the bed and there was a shoebox lying open on the bed. Feeling very guilty but his concern outweighing the guilt, Cyborg looked in the shoebox.

There were several plastic bags in the box, all filled with the same bluish-gray substance. Pills. Or rather, drugs.

Head spinning and alarm completely forgotten, Cyborg stepped back from the bed like it was burning him. He kept walking backwards until he found himself in the closet. His elbow touched something and he turned to his right.

He was looking right at Raven.

He screamed and broke the closet door in his hurry to get out of there. The Raven fell out after him and the shock of it all nearly reduced him to tears. Swallowing several times he realized it was a dummy. Only the hair was a little too dark. He gingerly picked it up by the neck when he heard the door behind him.

"Friend Cyborg! What brings you to my-" Starfire's greeting was cut short when she saw what he was holding. Her eyes blazed green and her hands began to flicker with starbolts.

Cyborg dropped the dummy and stared at Starfire mouth agape.

She smiled a mirthless smile, took aim, and fired.

TT

An exhausted Beast Boy dropped the Boy Wonder at the outskirts of Jump City.

"Sorry," he panted. "I'm too tired to fly all the way home. Can't we call a taxi or something?"

Robin looked at the city as though seeing it for the first time.

"Or we could just walk," Raven informed him.

"But I'm exhausted!" Beast Boy moaned. Raven shot him a death glare. "Ok, ok. Everybody follow me."

_I hope this was enjoyable. A lot of stuff was revealed in this chapter. I had forgotten how fun it is to write an exciting story. I'll be updating my other stories within a week or so, so please read them too. And please review! -Mystyre_

_PS Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to update. It helped a lot._


	15. Home Again

_To everyone I told back in August that I was updating soon, I'm very sorry. I know it's been forever, but hopefully I can make up for it._

Cyborg had barely enough time to move his head out of the way of the incoming starbolt before another green missile forced him to change position. He somersaulted across the floor and took cover behind Starfire's bed.

"Star! What's the matter with you?" he yelled, preparing his sonic cannon.

Starfire did not answer. At least not with words.

More starbolts tore apart her bed and just missed scalding Cyborg. He leapt up and took aim with his cannon, forcing himself to fire.

The blast hit Starfire right in the chest, knocking her into the wall. Cyborg fired three more blasts in quick succession and hurried over to see what he had done.

Starfire was seemingly unconscious, half-buried under rubble from the wall. He scanned her quickly to check for injuries and her physical state. No life-threatening injuries, and she was really out.

His entire body shaking from the ordeal, Cyborg threw Starfire over his shoulder and brought her to the infirmary, where he promptly restrained her. Then he returned to her room.

The evidence was slightly charred, but in surprisingly good condition, considering it having been barraged by starbolts. Cyborg picked up the plastic bags and headed back to the infirmary, mind already attempting to draw a conclusion.

Starfire was still unconscious, so Cyborg dumped the contents from the bags out on a table. He was no scientist – well, actually, he kind of was. These were drugs, and he was planning to find out just what they were and what they could do to an alien.

TT

Despite Beast Boy's complaints, his legs were more than able to carry him to Titans Tower. After all, it was his arms that had flown him home. There was a little problem with Raven's idea, though. Walking home meant that they had to walk through the city. In public. And the media had been having a field day with the Titan's current situation.

Beast Boy generally only read the comics, but in the days following Raven's departure he had been reading the headlines too.

**BOY WONDER HOSPITALIZED BY FORMER TEAMMATE.**

**RAVEN TURNS TO THE DARK SIDE.**

**WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON IN TITANS TOWER?**

…and even

**LOVEBIRDS SPLIT OVER MISCOMMUNICATION.**

Ok, so the last one was a tabloid. Even so, Beast Boy was a little concerned about what being seen in public was going to do to their image. Or what remained of their image.

"Uh, Raven? I think there's something I should tell you," Beast Boy said, stopping and turning around. The procession was single line, with Beast Boy in front, Robin in the middle and Raven bringing up the rear. They were approaching the more populated area of town, and Beast Boy had been risking drawing attention long enough.

"What? That you're too tired to continue? That you need a piggyback?" she said, momentarily lapsing back into her sarcastic and inconsiderate self.

"No. But if you really want to – ok, ok I get the point," he said as she shot him a death glare. "The news has been writing about the fight and your leaving and Robin's hospitalization and everything else that's happened, and I'm not sure it's such a good idea for us to go walking through town together."

"So what do you suggest we do?"

"Well, you could teleport us home," Beast Boy said, trying not to sound anxious. "I mean, it's the least conspicuous way to get there."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Of course. How logical. You do remember I was kicked out of the Tower, right?"

Beast Boy nodded.

"I don't know if Cyborg's going to let me back in, and he certainly won't be happy if I just show up randomly in some room."

"But Robin'll be with us! It's ok!"

Raven turned to Robin. "What are your thoughts on this?"

Robin didn't answer her. He was looking around at the silhouettes of buildings.

"Robin?" Raven prompted.

"I know this place," he whispered, turning to face her. "I've been here before."

A huge grin split Beast Boy's face. "He remembers!" he shouted ecstatically. "Robin remembers!"

Raven was a little more cautious. "What do you remember, Robin?"

He turned around again to look at the city. "I remember falling off that building over there," he indicated, pointing at it. "And I remember fighting a huge blob of goo somewhere over there."

"Do you remember the Titans, Robin?" Raven asked softly.

"I remember –" his voice trailed off. Then he looked at her and Beast Boy, eyes widening slightly. "I remember not being alone."

"Well, this is good news," Beast Boy said, smiling at Raven. She didn't smile back.

"Regarding my earlier question, Robin, what are your thoughts on how to get to the Tower?" she asked.

For a moment Robin was exactly like his old self, eyes narrowed and expression thoughtful. Raven noted his eyes were bluish-gray. She had never seen them before without the mask.

"I think that Raven should teleport us there," he said finally. Raven was shocked. She hadn't expected him to give an answer that involved actually ending up at the Tower. She thought he would demand to be taken home.

_But the Tower is his home,_ she thought to herself. _This is a good sign._

"That is a power of yours, isn't it?" Robin asked her, crossing his arms on his chest. She nodded.

"This is going to feel a little strange, Robin, but I assure you that you are completely safe," she told him, raising her arms. She could see him grit his teeth.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she chanted as the trio was enveloped in dark energy.

Moments later, they found themselves on the roof of Titans Tower. Raven folded her arms.

"Ok, Beast Boy. What next?"

He scratched his head. "Umm, we should probably go inside," he said.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Thank you for telling me that. I would never have figured it out of my own. The problem is how do we confront Cyborg and Starfire?"

Beast Boy opened his mouth but nothing came out.

A sudden clank disrupted the quiet on the roof, and Raven and Beast Boy quickly discovered it was Robin. He had opened the door to the Tower and was disappearing from view as he walked down the stairs.

"Whoa! Dude, that's not such a good idea right now!" Beast Boy shouted as he waved his arms frantically. He and Raven immediately ran for the door.

"Why not? This is my team, after all. And my Tower. I can do whatever I want," he grinned as he reached the other door and walked inside the Tower.

Beast Boy and Raven looked at each other, shrugged, and followed him inside.

TT

LSD. Starfire had been taking LSD. Cyborg had no idea how long she had been on it or where she had gotten it, but it obviously had affected her. LSD causes altered experience of senses, memories, emotions, time and awareness in humans, and it seemed to have gone into overdrive on the alien girl.

Starfire was still unconscious, but Cyborg gave her a sedative as an extra precaution. He then proceeded to pump all of her nine stomachs and flush her systems to get the drugs out. The remaining tablets of LSD he locked in a cabinet for further examination.

Completely overwhelmed with everything that was happening, Cyborg sunk into a chair.

"This is completely nuts," he muttered. "Nuts."

TT

Raven and Beast Boy hurried to catch up to Robin, who was already making his way down the hall towards the elevator.

"Robin, wait up!" Beast Boy called. "You don't know where you're going!" He stopped. "Or do you?"

Robin just grinned at him.

Robin pressed the button to call the elevator up and Raven and Beast Boy joined him in waiting for it.

"So where's my room?" Robin asked as he stepped into the elevator.

"It's on the second floor," Raven replied.

"To the second floor, then!"

Moments later, the trio emerged from the elevator and were faced with a hallway and many doors.

"I bet this one's my room! It looks familiar. I must have spent a lot of time here," Robin said, approaching a door.

"All the rooms have our names on them," Raven informed him. "But you did spend a lot of time there. That's the –"

The door slid open to reveal Starfire strapped to a bed and Cyborg hunched in a chair, his back to the newcomers.

" –infirmary," Raven finished, suddenly scared.

TT

Robin walked in casually and looked around.

"I like it," he announced.

Cyborg suddenly looked up and realized he had company.

"Robin! What are you– Raven! Why the–" A flash of green caught his eye. "Beast Boy! What in the name of the Good Lord is going on here?"

Robin walked up to Cyborg.

"Cyborg, correct?" Robin asked, extending his hand.

Cyborg shook it, feeling like a moron. "That's me," he replied.

Robin's gaze fell on Starfire. "And she is Starfire?"

Cyborg stared glumly at the alien princess. "That's her."

"Uh, why is Star strapped to a table?" Beast Boy asked.

"Why are Robin and Raven here?" Cyborg shot back.

Beast Boy scratched his head and gave a big smile. "We're going to discuss the situation. As a team," he finished firmly. "And Starfire?"

"Starfire's been taking drugs," Cyborg said, not believing it himself.

"WHAT???" Beast Boy and Raven said at once. Robin narrowed his eyes.

"LSD. I think that's what's been messing her up."

"What do you mean by messing her up?" Beast Boy asked in confusion.

"About an hour ago an alarm went off –" Cyborg smacked himself in the head. "The alarm! We never answered it!"

"I'm sure the police took care of it. Anyways…" Beast Boy prompted.

"Anyways, I went to get Starfire and no one was in her room so I went in. I saw the drugs on her bed and they freaked me out and I backed into her closet. A dummy of Raven fell out and Starfire came in and started attacking me."

Beast Boy turned to Raven. "Hah! I knew you were innocent!"

"Just because Starfire was on drugs and had a dummy in her closet isn't much proof, Beast Boy," Raven said, but she looked a little hopeful.

"There's more," Cyborg said gravely. Everyone fixed their attention on him.

"I watched the possession tape again by accident and there were some pretty suspicious glitches in it. I think Raven's innocent," Cyborg said, finally acknowledging that he had been wrong. "I'm sorry, Raven. We shouldn't have been so quick to judge. I should have known better."

Raven laid a hand on his shoulder. "Everything is working out all right, Cyborg. It's ok."

"So what do we do next?" Robin asked. He hadn't been contributing to the conversation much, preferring to walk around the infirmary and examine things for himself.

Cyborg looked at Beast Boy and Raven. "Does he remember?" he asked softly.

"He's starting to," Raven replied. "Things are looking familiar to him now, he just can't place them."

"How did you convince him to come back to Jump City?" Cyborg asked, remembering Robin's determination to get back to Gotham.

"We, uh, well we– " Beast Boy stammered.

"Beast Brain here decided we ought to kidnap him," Raven said, crossing her arms.

"From where?"

"From his house," Beast Boy said sheepishly.

"We're going to have a bit of a problem, though. Anytime now we're going to have a very unhappy father come after his son," Raven said.

Cyborg scoffed. "I don't think an unhappy father is going to be able to get into the Tower, Raven."

"There's something you should know," Raven said, lowering her voice so that Robin, who was looking through files on the computer, couldn't hear her. "I stayed with Bruce Wayne when I was in Gotham." She held up her hand to silence Cyborg's questions. "He said he had a son named Richard Grayson. I met Richard and realized he was Robin, even though he didn't have his mask on. Richard Grayson and Robin are the same person. That means that Bruce Wayne is Batman."

Cyborg let out a low whistle. "So you think Batman's going to come after us and take Robin back?"

"Beast Boy caused a distraction to get him out of the house so we could kidnap Robin," Raven said. "He's going to be pretty upset; especially at me. He knows what I did to Robin."

"So what do we do?" Cyborg asked. He didn't want to fight the Dark Knight; certainly not when Batman thought Robin was in danger.

"Lock down the Tower. Nothing gets in or out." Cyborg nodded and reached for the computer, quickly keying in the commands. Robin looked miffed at being bumped, but eagerly continued when Cyborg was finished.

"We should be safe," Cyborg sighed.

"Think again," a gravelly voice said from behind them.

A veritable giant clothed in darkness itself completely filled the doorway. Beast Boy, Raven and Cyborg all went pale. Robin didn't even look up.

"Oh dang," Cyborg whispered.

_Hahahahahaha! What a fabulous place to end the chapter! I really enjoyed writing this. I know it's been a long time coming, but I am going to try to write a little every day so that updates occur faster. This story is almost 2 years old! Heh. This chapter is dedicated to my good friend TexMurphy who has encouraged me to update faster and inspired me with his own speedy updates. By the way, if anyone has any tips for me on Lost, please give them to me. I'm stuck in the mud here. Thanks for reading and please review!_

_-Mystyre_


	16. Reconcile

_I'm really not sure what to say. I've never been good at updating fast (it's taken over 2 years to write 15 chapters), and my record is not improving. I don't think I'm going to be making any promises on when updates are going to come anymore. To those who found the time in their busy schedules to read this unbelievably drawn-out story, you have my deepest gratitude._

Batman's immense form completely dominated the infirmary. Raven shrunk in on herself, Cyborg began to quiver, and Beast Boy looked as if he were about to have an accident. Robin completely ignored him.

The Dark Knight stared at the little green changeling. "You must think you're really cute," he growled. Beast Boy whimpered. "Let me be one of many to tell you: you're not."

Batman strode across the room and placed a massive hand on his ward's shoulder. "Let's go."

Robin shrugged the hand off, mesmerized by the computer screen.

The Caped Crusader's eyes narrowed. "This is not a request, Robin. Let's go. Now."

"Kinda busy here," Robin mumbled, typing furiously.

Batman grasped both Robin's shoulders and plucked him from his chair, Robin grabbing desperately for the keyboard. Batman turned Robin around so they were at eye level. Robin stuck out his chin defiantly, then winced when Batman's grip tightened.

"We. Are. Going. Now." Robin shook his head, but some of his arrogance began to give way to desperation.

"I need to stay here for a while. There's– unfinished business to take care of." His eyes swept over the Titans and came to rest on the unconscious alien. He bit his lip. "My team needs me."

Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg looked at each other hopefully.

Robin squirmed out of Batman's grip so his feet were on the ground again and stood beside the computer. "I don't remember a lot," he began. "But I remember them," he indicated to the computer screen. Batman bent to look. "These are crime files I must have compounded over the years. Mad Mod, Mumbo Jumbo, Brother Blood, Slade…" his voice hardened. "I remember fighting them."

Beast Boy leaned over to Raven. "So he remembers the bad guys, but not his friends," he whispered. "Typical."

Robin looked at Starfire again. "And I remember her," he whispered. "I remember a ferris wheel. A giant worm. And mustard." He looked at Batman desperately. "I have to stay. I'm remembering. This is my life! Please; let me stay!"

Batman looked at the anxious faces of the Titans and that of his own son. "You can stay for a little while." Relief flooded everyone whom the decision affected.

"So do you just want me to give you a call or something later?" Robin asked.

"That won't be necessary." Batman sat on the edge of an infirmary bed and crossed his arms over his massive chest. "I'm not going anywhere."

TT

There was a moment of awkward silence as three of the four conscious Titans looked at each other, and Batman, nervously. Robin was back on the computer, scrolling through the files he had so meticulously created and cared for in years past. Just looking at him seated in front of the screen reminded the Titans of who their leader was. His posture was impeccable and he chewed his bottom lip as his eyes skimmed the information. No one said anything for several moments. Finally, Batman gave what may have been a cough, but sounded more like thunder exploding in your eardrum. Robin looked up.

"My professional history is all documented in these files," he said. "Every battle we fought, every police report filed, every available scrap of information is in chronological order."

"Except one," Raven muttered. She was thinking of her attack on the Titans that was most assuredly not on that computer.

"I must have spent hours putting these together," Robin mused. "There are hundreds of them." He straightened. "However, I don't have much recollection of spending time with you," he indicated his teammates.

Beast Boy squirmed a bit, then said, "That's cause you didn't really go for the whole 'team-bonding' stuff. You liked setting stuff up on the computer or kicking the crap out of yourself in the gym. Some days we would have to drag you out of your room just to get you to eat." Batman's eyes narrowed at this comment and Beast Boy's ears reddened under Raven's death glare.

Robin had an odd look on his face. "But surely I would – " he stopped. His gaze drifted to Starfire and Raven's stomach churned.

It was at that moment that Starfire's eyelids fluttered. Slowly her emerald eyes opened and she sighed contentedly, as if she had just had a pleasant dream.

"Friends!" she exclaimed as her eyes fell on her teammates. They watched as her eyes widened as she became aware of her restraints.

"Please, why am I tied to this surface?"

Cyborg felt his head threaten to explode as he wondered how he would explain this. "Well, Star, you see, um…"

"And who is this?" Starfire indicated Batman with her head.

"He's Batman," Robin said. He was leaning forward in his seat, staring intently at Starfire. She seemed oblivious to his examinations of her.

"Oh, hello new friend!" One corner of Batman's mouth twitched. "Again, why have I been restrained?"

Cyborg, still lacking an ordered explanation, rose from his seat and released her from her bonds. She rubbed her arms for a moment, then treated the Titans and Batman to her trademark smile.

Robin gasped. Images of his past suddenly came flashing back and the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Robin laid his head down on the desk as it began throbbing from all the forgotten memories, information and emotions suddenly filling him.

"-bin? You ok, dude?" Beast Boy's faraway voice reached his ears. His familiar annoying voice.

Robin took a moment to breathe, then lifted his head and looked his teammate straight in the eyes. "Yeah. I'm great. More than great. I'm better."

"You're better?" Somewhere a light long thought burnt out came back to life. "You're better! You remember?"

Robin nodded.

"Dude!" Beast Boy leapt from his chair and threw his arms around Robin in a tight embrace. Robin returned it without hesitation. Spinning Robin like a trophy, Beast Boy announced to all present, "He's better!"

"So we gathered," Raven deadpanned. Inside her heart leapt for joy.

Cyborg flashed Robin a thumbs-up and Batman nodded approvingly. Only Starfire did not share their joy.

"What have you remembered Robin?" she asked, a confused look on her face. With that statement, the Titans realized that Starfire did not remember anything either.

"You. I remember you." Robin crossed the room and enfolded her in a hug, which she accepted, albeit confusedly. Raven turned away and breathed deeply.

Batman watched the scene play out for a moment, then cleared his throat, breaking the moment. All eyes turned to him.

"I believe the young lady needs to be informed of what has been going on," he said in a voice that could turn boulders into gravel. "Subsequently, you need to come to an understanding of the circumstances and reach a sense of closure to these events. Finally there will be a discussion of who retains the right to be a Titan."

TT

The tale began with Raven's ejection from the Tower. When Starfire was informed that this was due to her trickery, she burst into tears and was inconsolable until Cyborg mentioned the drugs.

"You were taking LSD," he explained, taking the bag filled with the substance from a cabinet. "In humans it distorts what you perceive as reality and alters your personality. In you, it went into overdrive." Starfire gaped at the bag.

"But I was informed that that substance was Earth candy," she said, eyebrows furrowing. "The merchant who acquainted me with it even provided me with a sample at no charge."

"That was a drug dealer, Star. He was trying to get you addicted," Robin said. "And it worked."

"How long ago was this?" Batman growled.

Starfire thought for a moment, then asked, "What is today's calendar date?" Robin told her, and she answered the question with, "Twenty-four days."

"But this substance is no longer within me, yes?" Starfire asked, biting her lip.

"I pumped your stomachs and flushed your systems. You're clean," Cyborg informed her. "You might feel withdrawal in the next couple days, but in the end you'll be fine."

The subject changed from drugs to Raven's fight with the Titans. Painful memories and unwanted emotions flooded the empath, who had to focus just to avoid blowing anything up.

"You made some grave mistakes, Raven," Robin said, studying her face.

"I know," she whispered, tears pricking her eyes. She wanted to put her hood up, but fought the urge.

"For which she has paid dearly," Batman interjected. Raven looked up, surprised at where her defense was coming from. "I believe that while her actions cannot be overlooked, they can be forgiven in time." Raven's teammates nodded in agreement.

Robin's brief experience in the hospital, Raven's stay with Batman and her encounter with Robin were not mentioned, though Beast Boy was treated to a death glare à la Batman for his Robin-kidnapping plot, which Batman brought up just to make Beast Boy squirm, in Raven's opinion.

"So here you are," Batman said, arms folded over his chest. "Is it possible to accept the past as is and be at peace with what happened, while at the same time look at building a future together in light of the past?"

Robin looked at his friends, then stood. "Yes," he said.

Starfire stood with him. "Absolutely," she affirmed.

Cyborg and Raven stood together, both nodding.

Beast Boy was the last to rise; he was likely confused by what Batman said, but ready to stand with his team.

"Go Titans!" he cheered, pumping his fist in the air.

"I will assume this means you are prepared to remain a team," Batman stated. He received five nods.

"It will take work, but it's worth it. The future is priceless," Robin said seriously.

_The future is priceless._

_I've got one more chapter coming for you, which will be the epilogue. Have yourself a very enjoyable holiday season!_

_-Mystyre_


	17. Epilogue

_Thank you so much to everyone who stayed with this story over the past two years. It's been a long haul, but the epilogue is finally here! Please enjoy._

The Titans, once again a band of 5, smiled at each other in the infirmary. Suddenly a loud noise disrupted the moment and four Titans, plus Batman, turned to look at Starfire. She smiled sheepishly.

"I believe I am hungry," she said, looking down at her stomach.

Beast Boy and Cyborg cast quick glances at each other, then raced out of the room for the kitchen, already arguing about meat vs. tofu. Starfire flew out after them, followed by Raven, who cast a brief glance over her shoulder at Robin, who was left alone with Batman.

"So," Robin said, scratching the back of his head nervously. He looked at the floor for a moment, and when he lifted his eyes again he was met not with Batman, but with Bruce Wayne. Robin smiled and reached up to remove his own mask before remembering he wasn't wearing one.

"C'mere, squirt." They embraced for a moment, and Richard settled onto the bed beside Bruce, who left one arm around his son's shoulders.

"It's been pretty rough for you these past few weeks, hasn't it?" Richard nodded. "Well, the next few weeks aren't going to be much different. You've got to rebuild your entire team. The trust that is so vital to the Titans was broken, and it's going to take time to get that back. Sure, everyone's happy today, but you need to be planning for tomorrow."

"What do you recommend?" Richard asked.

"That's something you have to determine as the leader. You know these people better than I do, and trust isn't something you can just tell people to do. It takes time."

Bruce stood and faced Richard. "I want you to know that I'm really proud of you. You're growing up, and someday you're going to change the world. Maybe not as Robin, but as a great person."

Bruce extended his hand, and with a look somewhere between embarrassed and deeply honored on his face, Richard John Grayson shook it.

Bruce replaced his cowl, and with a rare smile, Batman left the building.

TT

Raven had retreated to her room, which she hadn't realized how much she had missed. It was considerably emptier, but it was her home no matter what it contained. This was where her spirit was at peace, and she immediately fell into a meditative trance.

Moments later, a knock came at her door. She opened the door to a face she would never tire of seeing: Robin.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Can I come in?" Raven stepped aside and he entered the darkened room.

Raven bit her lip. "Robin, I'm so –" He held up his hand to silence her.

"Look, we both know what happened and how it all turned out. Which, by the way, is ok. There's no need to dredge up ancient history. Sure, you made a mistake, but I made a mistake first. I should have known better than to kick you out. I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't need to apologize to me," Raven mumbled. "Seriously, I'm the one who's sorry."

"So can we just call it even?" Robin raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah." Raven squirmed for a moment. "So seeing Starfire is what triggered your memory?"

Robin looked away. "Yeah. I used to really like her."

Raven looked at him strangely. "Used to?"

Robin blushed. "I mean, I still like her, but not as anything other than a friend. I feel like I've grown up so much. A couple hours ago I thought I was thirteen, and now I realize how much has happened to me in the past three years. I've changed a lot, and I feel a lot of that is because of the people around me."

Robin walked to her window and gazed out of it. "Do you remember when that dust made me crazy?" Raven nodded. "And you went into my mind? Ever since then, I've felt a bond. Like you know me better than anyone, except maybe Batman." Robin cracked a smile briefly, then was serious again. "You mean a lot to me, Raven, and it took life-changing events and amnesia to make me realize it. You're a great friend, and I'm really glad you're part of this team."

Robin stepped away from the window and pulled a surprised Raven into a hug. She felt a tear slip down her cheek as she realized how glad she was that she was part of the Titans. Her room wasn't home; this, this moment in time when she was in Robin's arms, was home.

She was home.

_The end. It's hard to say goodbye to a story after two years, and it definitely didn't turn out the way I thought it would, but all in all I feel my first complete story did all right. Again, thank you to all who have followed Inner Workings through its many stages, and thank you to those who found it one day and read it all in one sitting. The support I received on this story is what fueled it, so when I say I couldn't have done it without you, I really mean it. Thank you to all, and to all a good night._

_-Mystyre_


End file.
